On 12 October 2022, in New York, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in an emergency special session passed a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
By this Resolution, the overwhelming majority of the United Nations Member States condemn the organization by the Russian Federation of illegal so-called referendums in regions within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and the attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.
The Resolution calls upon all States, international organizations and United Nations specialized agencies not to recognize the results of the referendums unlawfully organised by Russia, and demands that the Russian Federation immediately and unconditionally reverse its decisions of 21 February and 29 September 2022 related to any alterations of the status of the said Ukrainian regions.
The Resolution demands once again that Russia cease its hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine. Strong support is expressed for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
The Resolution was supported by 143 Member States voting in favour. Russia, Belarus and three other countries voted against, while 35 abstained and ten were absent.
At this UNGA emergency special session, Latvia, on behalf of the Baltic States and Nordic countries condemned in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression and its brutal invasion of Ukraine, with support from Belarus. The statement demands that Russia stop its aggression and withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine; it calls for a firm and collective rejection of Russia’s sham referenda and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Latvia underlined that Russia’s actions were in clear violation of international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, while pointing out that Russia’s threats of the use of nuclear weapons were unacceptable. The text of the statement is accessible here.
Background information
UNGA addressed the issue following Russia’s veto vote at the United Nations Security Council against a similar draft resolution condemning annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia. At the Security Council, the resolution was supported by ten of its members, with China, India, Brazil, and Gabon abstaining.
Since 24 February 2022, UNGA has passed four significant resolutions in relation to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine: a resolution condemning Russia’s aggression; a resolution on humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine; a resolution on the suspension of Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council; and the present resolution on the illegal annexation of the territories of Ukraine.
Following the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, the UNGA Member States supported a resolution on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.