UN / UKRAINE WEAPONS SUPPLY

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, told the Security Council that “any potential or suspected violations of relevant Security Council resolutions” in supplying weapons to parties in the war in Ukraine, “if verified, are very concerning.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:39
• Production Date: 12 September 2023
• Asset Language: English; Russian
• Personal Subject: IZUMI NAKAMITSU; VASSILY A. NEBENZIA
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL; UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DISARMAMENT AFFAIRS - UNODA; UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DISARMAMENT AFFAIRS - UNODA
• Subject Topical: ARMS TRADE; CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: RUSSIAN FEDERATION; UKRAINE; UNITED STATES
• MAMS Id: 3088124
• Parent Id: 3088124
• Alternate Title: unifeed230912d

Description

STORY: UN / UKRAINE WEAPONS SUPPLY
TRT: 03:39
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS

DATELINE: 12 SEPTEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters

12 SEPTEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“Any transfer of weapons must take place within the applicable international legal and policy frameworks, including relevant Security Council resolutions. Any potential or suspected violations of relevant Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions or restrictive measures, if verified, are very concerning.”
4. Wide shot, Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“The supply of weapons and ammunition into any armed conflict situations raises significant concerns about the potential escalation of violence and presents significant risks of diversion and proliferation, even after the conflict has ended. Measures to address the risk of diversion of weapons and ammunition to unauthorized end users and for unauthorized uses are essential for preventing further instability and insecurity in Ukraine, the region and beyond.”
6. Wide shot, Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“The continued intensified attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and services in Ukraine, including energy infrastructure, health and educational facilities, ports, roads, bridges, and grain facilities remain very much alarming. Under international humanitarian law, parties to an armed conflict are prohibited from targeting civilians and civilian objects, including civilian infrastructure.”
8. Wide shot, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya at Council dais
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation: “The decision of the US to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions is unconscionable. According to reports, the Biden administration is preparing a decision about supplying the Kyiv regime with long range missiles with cluster munitions. But the US Investigative Committee has said that up to a third of these cluster munitions might not explode, and they might remain in the ground as a threat for decades for civilians.”
10. Wide shot, United States Ambassador Robert A. Wood at Council dais
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert A. Wood, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“Russian officials seem to continue to think they can distract us from the Kremlin's actions undermining international peace and security, including through Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, through its ongoing efforts to unlawfully procure arms from the DPRK in violation of this very Council's resolutions, through procuring armed drones from Iran used to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and through endangering cargo vessels in the Black Sea. But Russia should disabuse itself of the illusion that we will be distracted from the darker reality we face. We won't be.”
15. Wide shot, Ukraine Ambassador at Council dais
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ukraine:
“Ukraine reiterates its gratitude to our friends and partners who in practical terms support us in exercising our inherent right to self-defence under the article 51 of the UN Charter. I would like to reiterate that until the Security Council remains immobilized in its attempts to punish the evil, let us and the responsible nations complete this task, including by supplying necessary weapons and thus strengthening the defensive capabilities of the state fighting against aggression.”
17. Zoom out, Council

Storyline

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, today (12 Dep) told the Security Council that “any potential or suspected violations of relevant Security Council resolutions” in supplying weapons to parties in the war in Ukraine, “if verified, are very concerning.”

Nakamitsu said, “the supply of weapons and ammunition into any armed conflict situations raises significant concerns about the potential escalation of violence and presents significant risks of diversion and proliferation, even after the conflict has ended.”

She said, “measures to address the risk of diversion of weapons and ammunition to unauthorized end users and for unauthorized uses are essential for preventing further instability and insecurity in Ukraine, the region and beyond.”

Regarding the use of those weapons, the High Representative said, “the continued intensified attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and services in Ukraine, including energy infrastructure, health and educational facilities, ports, roads, bridges, and grain facilities remain very much alarming. Under international humanitarian law, parties to an armed conflict are prohibited from targeting civilians and civilian objects, including civilian infrastructure.”

Nakamitsu also expressed concern at reports related to the transfer and use of cluster munitions throughout the war.

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Council that “the decision of the US to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions is unconscionable.”

Nebenzya said the Biden administration “is preparing a decision about supplying the Kyiv regime with long range missiles with cluster munitions” and noted that the US Investigative Committee “has said that up to a third of these cluster munitions might not explode, and they might remain in the ground as a threat for decades for civilians.”

United States Ambassador Robert A. Wood for his part said, “Russian officials seem to continue to think they can distract us from the Kremlin's actions undermining international peace and security, including through Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, through its ongoing efforts to unlawfully procure arms from the DPRK in violation of this very Council's resolutions, through procuring armed drones from Iran used to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and through endangering cargo vessels in the Black Sea. But Russia should disabuse itself of the illusion that we will be distracted from the darker reality we face. We won't be.”

Finally, Ukraine’s Ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn reiterated her country’s “gratitude to our friends and partners who in practical terms support us in exercising our inherent right to self-defence under the article 51 of the UN Charter.”

Hayovyshyn said, “until the Security Council remains immobilized in its attempts to punish the evil, let us and the responsible nations complete this task, including by supplying necessary weapons and thus strengthening the defensive capabilities of the state fighting against aggression.”