Skopje, 25 February 2023 (MIA) - One year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani addressed the UN Security Council at an open debate on strengthening accountability and justice for violations of international law. 

The open debate came after Thursday's 11th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which was also addressed by OSCE Chairman-in-Office Osmani, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. At the session, UN members endorsed a Resolution on a Comprehensive Peace in Ukraine. In that context, Osmani stressed before the UNSC that North Macedonia fully supports the resolution. 

Osmani reiterated North Macedonia's support to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. He condemned Russia's constant attacks in urban areas, leaving civilians and cities without access to basic human needs, reads the press release.  

"The findings and investigations so far in the various cities attacked in Ukraine lead to the conclusion that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed," Osmani said, noting that committed sexual abuse and violence against women and girls is of grave concern as well.  

The perpetrators of these crimes and violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws must be held accountable and brought to justice, Osmani stressed.

He underlined that in his capacity as OSCE Chairman-in-Office, he'd like to underscore once again the OSCE Moscow Mechanism as an important source invoked with the aim to established the facts and circumstances of possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He added that this was in order to present it to the relevant accountability mechanisms, as well as to the international courts. 

Osmani pointed out that the country fully supports the investigation launched by the ICC Prosecutor aimed at looking into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Ukraine, and welcomed the International Court of Justice provisional measures ordering Russia to suspend military operations immediately.

In addition, Osmani urged making full use and ensuring sustainable funding of existing human rights mechanisms, as it is also crucial in support of the accountability processes.

"North Macedonia believes that we should make better use of the work and information gathered by the special procedures of the Human Rights Council in order to investigate violation and abuses of human rights and related crimes in the context of the war of aggression against Ukraine," Osmani said, as cited in the press release. 

Osmani called on the Russian Federation to stop the war, and reiterated the demand for the immediate cessation of the military aggression against Ukraine, as well as for the full and immediate withdrawal of its forces and military equipment from Ukraine's territory.

"We have to bring back the peace, and accountability must prevail," Osmani concluded in his address.