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Topic:

Enabling Totalitarianism

Country:

United Nation

Issue:

Article ID:

18

Title:

Opinion: Handshaking Putin and hugging Lukashenko, UN head Guterres undermines the ICC

Author:

Volodymyr Hryshko

Date:

November 5, 2024

Source:

Kyiv Independent

Reference:

Summary:

Quotes:

While the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently expressed “high appreciation” for the United Nations’ cooperative relations during the commemoration of UN Day, a troubling incident unfolded 3,000 kilometers away from The Hague in Kazan, Russia. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, smiling and bowing his head, shook hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the very person the ICC seeks to arrest. This meeting raises significant moral concerns, epitomizing a blatant disregard for the Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported amid Russia’s war against Ukraine — charges for which Putin is wanted by the ICC. Beyond the emotional implications, this encounter undermines the principles that the UN itself should uphold... In 2013, the UN adopted guidance to regulate meetings between UN Secretariat staff and individuals subject to arrest warrants issued by the ICC. According to these guidelines, there should generally be no meetings between UN officials and persons subject to ICC arrest warrants. In a joint statement, Truth Hounds and several other Ukrainian NGOs extensively analyzed this legal framework and demonstrated a lack of justification for such a meeting. Moreover, UN principles unequivocally establish that there should be no “ceremonial meetings” with or “standard courtesy calls” to individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants. The same holds true for receptions, photo opportunities, and attendance at national day celebrations. The photo from Guterres and Putin’s meeting speaks for itself...The disregard or negligent attitude of UN officials toward the principles of the UN and international law appears not to be an isolated incident. In May 2023, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, traveled to Moscow to meet another ICC suspect for war crimes against children — Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

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