Points of order by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC debate on Ukraine
Mr.President,
We would like to ask on what grounds you suggest giving the floor to Foreign Minister Kuleba prior to Council members. We have nothing against him speaking today, but there are rules in the Council that were established long before Malta became a member. Mr.President, you have to obey those rules. So this is my question that I would like to have an answer to.
In response to the President
Mr.President,
I must warn you that as soon as you gavel this decision, you will create a blatant precedent which will give Ukraine privileges in the Security Council that representatives from other regions of the world have been denied.
I can cite concrete examples from recent practice.
21 February, a briefing on the Central African Republic. H.E. Ms. Sylvie Baïpo-Temon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the CAR, spoke after the members of the Council.
27 January, a briefing on Mali. H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali also was given the floor after UNSC membership.
11 January, a briefing on Colombia. H.E. Ms. Francia Márquez, who is not a minister, but the Vice President of Colombia, also spoke after the members of the Council.
24 January, a briefing on Haiti. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, H.E. Mr. Michael Moussa Adamo took the floor after all members of the Council. Same thing happened at a briefing on Haiti on 21 December 2022. He spoke after UNSC members.
This list can continue.
Speaking of precedents, when addressing the Council on 22 September 2022, Dmitro Kuleba himself also spoke after members of the Council had made their statements.
No one from Western delegations ever proposed to listen to representatives of Africa, Latin America, or any other regions of the world save Ukraine before Council members take the floor at UNSC meetings that directly have to do with those regions. Do you realize how this decision of yours to give Mr.Kuleba the privilege of speaking at the beginning of the meeting will look like in the eyes for the global community?
I emphasize that we have nothing against him speaking and are ready to listen. But his participation must comply with the existing practice, when those who speak under Rule 37 take the floor after Council members.
What we are seeing now is another attempt to assert the right of a concrete group of states. Apparently, as a member of the “golden billion” you openly give preference to Ukraine because Ukraine is your geopolitical project. As it turns out, problems of the rest of the world are of no interest to you. Same also refers to an unprecedented number of delegations who have been invited under Rule 37 – 12 countries of the European Union in addition to High Representative J.Borrell. It is obvious that all those countries who will speak from EU’s shared standing point that has been dictated by Brussels will not add any value to this discussion. This approach devaluates the discussion and strikes a blow on the reputation of this Council. Your British colleagues have already gone down in history as a failed Presidency of the Council who turned down our request for an emergency meeting, which was an unprecedented move.
We regret that the Maltese Presidency time and again demonstrates its explicit neglect of UNSC’s rules and practices by placing its national position and the position of the European Union above its responsibilities as President of the Council, who is supposed to be the guardian of the procedure and stick to an equidistant position. We must state that Malta failed this task. This fortifies our opinion that there would be no added value in expanding the Security Council membership by Western states. You are simply turning this body into a tool to serve you whims.
Thank you.
After a briefing by a representative of Ukraine
We are standing up to honor all the victims of what has happened in Ukraine since 2014. All those who have lost their lives. Every life is precious. We stand up in memory of all those people.
