[without reference to a Main Committee (A/74/L.12/Rev.1 and A/74/L.12/Rev.1/Add.1)]
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Charter of the United Nations, in which it is stated, inter alia, that all Members of the United Nations shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations,
Recalling also its resolution 68/262 of 27 March 2014 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in which it affirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,
Recalling further its resolution 73/194 of 17 December 2018 on the problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov,
Recalling its resolutions 71/205 of 19 December 2016, 72/190 of 19 December 2017 and 73/263 of 22 December 2018 on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine,
Deeply concerned that the provisions of those resolutions and relevant decisions of international organizations, specialized agencies and bodies within the United Nations system have not been implemented by the Russian Federation,
Recalling its resolution 3314 (XXIX) of 14 December 1974,
Condemning the ongoing temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine, namely, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (hereinafter referred to as “Crimea”), by the Russian Federation, and reaffirming the non-recognition of its annexation,
Recalling that the temporary occupation of Crimea and the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is in contravention of commitments made under the Memorandum on Security Assurances in Connection with Ukraine’s Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Budapest Memorandum) of 5 December 1994,[1] in which, inter alia, the obligations to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine and the commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine were reaffirmed,
Expressing concern over the efforts of the Russian Federation to extend its jurisdiction over the nuclear facilities and material in Crimea,
Affirming that the seizure of Crimea by force is illegal and a violation of international law, and affirming also that those territories must be immediately returned,
Recalling the prohibition, in accordance with international humanitarian law, for the occupying Power to compel protected persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, including through pressure or propaganda that is aimed at securing voluntary enlistment, and condemning the ongoing recruitment campaign in Crimea and criminal prosecutions of Crimean residents for draft evasion,
Concerned by efforts to use the education of children in Crimea in order to indoctrinate them to join the Russian military forces,
Taking note of the order of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea of 25 May 2019 on provisional measures in the Case concerning the detention of three Ukrainian naval vessels (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) and Procedural Order No. 1 of the Arbitral Tribunal Constituted under Annex VII to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in respect of a Dispute concerning the Detention of Ukrainian Naval Vessels and Servicemen of 22 November 2019,
Noting the fact that security concerns and the build-up of forces in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov regions further destabilize the economy and social services, particularly in the coastal regions of Ukraine,
Supporting the commitment by Ukraine to adhere to international law in its efforts to put an end to the temporary Russian occupation of Crimea,
- Stresses that the presence of Russian troops in Crimea is contrary to the national sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and undermines the security and stability of neighbouring countries and the European region;
- Expresses its grave concern over the progressive militarization of Crimea by the Russian Federation as the occupying Power, and also expresses concern over reports of the continuing destabilization of Crimea owing to transfers by the Russian Federation of weapon systems, including nuclear-capable aircraft and missiles, weapons, ammunition and military personnel to the territory of Ukraine, and urges the Russian Federation to stop such activity;
- Expresses its deep concern over the use of seized Ukrainian military industry enterprises in the occupied Crimea by the Russian Federation;
- Calls upon the Russian Federation to refrain from efforts to extend its jurisdiction over the nuclear facilities and material in Crimea;
- Expresses its deep concern over the conscription by the Russian Federation of the residents of Crimea into its armed forces, including assignment to military bases in the Russian Federation, and urges the Russian Federation to stop such illegal activity;
- Expresses its concern regarding multiple military exercises of Russian armed forces held in Crimea, which undermine regional security and entail considerable long-term negative environmental consequences in the region;
- Also expresses its concern over the ongoing actions of the Russian Federation in parts of the Black Sea surrounding Crimea, in the Sea of Azov and in the Kerch Strait, including their militarization, which pose further threats to Ukraine and undermine the stability of the broader region;
- Expresses its utmost concern about the dangerous increase in tensions and the unjustified use of force by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including against three vessels of the naval forces of Ukraine, namely, the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the tugboat Yani Kapu, on 25 November 2018 in the Black Sea, which involved the serious wounding of some of their crew members and the intentional obstruction of traffic through the Kerch Strait;
- Welcomes the release by the Russian Federation of 24 crew members of three vessels of the naval forces of Ukraine, namely, the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the tugboat Yani Kapu;
- Calls upon the Russian Federation to return unconditionally and without delay all equipment and weapons seized from the released vessels, the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the tugboat Yani Kapu, to the custody of Ukraine;
- Encourages further negotiations to ensure the release by the Russian Federation of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens and their safe return to Ukraine;
- Calls upon the Russian Federation to refrain from impeding the lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms, including but not limited to closure of sea areas under the pretext of military exercises, in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait in accordance with applicable international law, including provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;[2]
- Condemns the construction and opening by the Russian Federation of the Kerch Strait bridge between the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied Crimea, which facilitates the further militarization of Crimea and restricts the size of ships that can reach the Ukrainian ports on the Azov coast, and also condemns the increasing military presence of the Russian Federation in parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, including the Kerch Strait, and the harassment of commercial vessels by the Russian Federation and its restriction of international shipping there, which further aggravates the economic and social situation in the broader Donetsk region already affected by the temporary occupation of Crimea;
- Also condemns visits of Russian officials to the temporarily occupied Crimea, including those in connection with conducting military exercises;
- Calls upon all Member States, as well as international organizations and specialized agencies, to refrain from any visits to Crimea that are not agreed with Ukraine;
- Urges the Russian Federation, as the occupying Power, to withdraw its military forces from Crimea and to end its temporary occupation of Ukrainian territory without delay;
- Calls upon all Member States to cooperate with the United Nations to encourage and support efforts to put an end to the Russian occupation of Crimea as rapidly as possible and to refrain from any dealings with the Russian Federation regarding Crimea that is inconsistent with this aim;
- Decides to continue its consideration of the matter at its seventy-fifth session.
41st plenary meeting
9 December 2019
[1] A/49/765-S/1994/1399, annexe I.
