We have emphasised before that the UK values highly your Office’s research into the intersectionality associated with gender and national minorities. Women with a minority background face unique and several challenges. We fully support women’s full, equal, plus meaningful participation, protection, plus leadership in all aspects of general public life, including in peace and security, and encourage further research in this area. As you report, we encounter a new reality due to the Russian Federation’s attempt to illegally annex sovereign territories of Ukraine. Today, 17. 7 mil people in Ukraine are usually assessed to be in humanitarian need. Europe faces the largest movement of refugees since the 2nd World War. As you possess previously noted, prior to twenty-four February, Ukraine was ‘a country working to maintain the sensitive balance between the interests plus rights of all groups within society’. The Russian govt used minority issues being a false pretext for its full-scale invasion. And it is the responsibility of every one of us to step up and respond. We all encourage all participating Says to fully cooperate with you and your staff to enable you to fulfil your mandate without impediment through the entire whole of Ukraine, including areas temporarily under Russian control. We welcome your continued dialogue with associates of national minorities within Ukraine, and for drawing our attention to the impact on their particular lives and physical protection, including their ability to maintain and continue expressing primary aspects of their identity, such as in education and culture. We also welcome your dialogue with Ukrainian professionals and your support to the legislative and institutional framework upon minority rights and associated issues in Ukraine. Thank you, Chair. Welcome back to the Long lasting Council, High Commissioner Abrakhmanov. Dear Kairat, thank you for your update and report. The UK is grateful for the different activities undertaken by your Office, including your visits to, and dialogues with, many taking part States this year. We are supportive of your mandate and accepted your work and the work of your team in promoting human rights for all, including those belonging to national minorities. This is an essential part of security and an instrument of conflict prevention and early warning. High Commissioner, you have made the point before that, managed effectively, diversity is an asset – the UK is really a firm believer in this theory. The UK remains appalled by ongoing individual rights abuses and violations in Crimea, especially those people experienced by ethnic and religious minorities. Crimean Tatars specifically face regular harassment and risk arrest, arbitrary detentions, and threats to catch their property. The banning from the Mejlis Council, an integral part of the particular Crimean identity, is of great concern. Likewise, the Russian government’s systematic vandalism of Tatar heritage and restrictions on the use of and schooling in the Crimean Tatar vocabulary. This persecution has been ongoing since 2014, and has made worse following Russia’s full-scale attack of Ukraine. According to the Workplace of the United Nations High Office for Human Rights (OHCHR), last year saw a ten-fold rise in arbitrary detentions. Just like you, we are deeply concerned simply by reports that Crimean Tatars are being disproportionately targeted by Russian authorities for mobilisation into the Russian Armed Forces. And too have been similarly concerned by reports that ethnic minorities inside Russia are actually disproportionately affected by the mobilisation. We urge continued scrutiny on the human rights violations and violations endured simply by Crimean Tatars and other cultural and religious minorities as a result of the Russian authorities. High Commissioner – to conclude — the UK is a strong promoter of your institution. It has a vital role in early warning and avoiding conflict related to national minorities. We thank you and your dedicated team for all your work throughout the OSCE arena and will continue to follow your work with attention.
