United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/2

by the U.N. General Assembly

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 March 2022

[without reference to a Main Committee (A/ES-11/L.2 and A/ES-11/L.2 /Add.1)]

ES-11/2. Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,

Reaffirming its resolutions 46/182 of 19 December 1991 and 76/124 of 10 December 2021,

Recalling the obligation of all States under Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations to 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, and to settle their international disputes by peaceful means,

Reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters,

Recognizing that the military offensive of the Russian Federation inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine and its humanitarian consequences are on a scale that the international community has not seen in Europe in decades,

Reiterating the call of the Secretary-General to the Russian Federation to stop its military offensive, as well as his call to establish a ceasefire and to return to the path of dialogue and negotiations,

Recalling its demand that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,

Deploring the dire humanitarian consequences of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the besiegement of and shelling and air strikes in densely populated cities of Ukraine, in particular Mariupol, as well as attacks striking civilians, including journalists, and civilian objects, in particular schools and other educational institutions, water and sanitation systems, medical facilities and their means of transport and equipment, and the abduction of local officials, as well as attacks striking diplomatic premises and cultural sites,

Expressing grave concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine, in particular at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, and the increasing number of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance,

Reaffirming the need to protect, without discrimination of any kind, the safety, dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of people fleeing the conflict and violence, regardless of their status, while promoting the security and prosperity of all communities, and condemning in this regard any acts, manifestations and expressions of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against people on the move, including refugees,

Strongly condemning any attacks directed against civilians as such and other protected persons and civilian objects, including civilian evacuation convoys, as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, including indiscriminate shelling and the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons, and further expressing concern about the long-term risks posed by damage to civilian infrastructure and unexploded ordnance to the civilian population,

Stressing the particular impact that armed conflict has on women and children, including as refugees and internally displaced persons, and other civilians who have specific needs, including persons with disabilities and older persons, and stressing also the need to ensure safe passage, as well as protection and assistance, to all affected civilian populations,

Expressing its deep appreciation for the significant and admirable efforts that have been made by neighbouring countries to accommodate refugees,

Expressing concern about the impact of the conflict on increased food insecurity globally, in particular in the least developed countries, as Ukraine and the region are one of the world’s most important areas for grain and agricultural exports, when millions of people are facing famine or the immediate risk of famine or are experiencing severe food insecurity in several regions of the world, as well as on energy security,

Recalling the link between armed conflict and violence and conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine, and stressing in this regard that armed conflict, violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and food insecurity can be drivers of forced displacement and that, conversely, forced displacement in countries in armed conflict can have a devastating impact on agricultural production and livelihoods,

Expressing concern about the grave humanitarian consequences of a possible accident resulting from the bombing and shelling of the Ukrainian nuclear infrastructure, reiterating the obligation to ensure the safety and security of all nuclear infrastructure, and expressing concern about the impact of the conflict on the environment,

Recalling the obligation of all States and parties to an armed conflict to fully respect international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and proportionality and the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid and in any event minimize harm to civilians and damage to civilian objects, reiterating that sieges, the purpose of which is to starve the civilian populations, are a violation of international humanitarian law, and urging all States and parties to armed conflict to respect human rights, including with regard to those forcibly displaced, and the principle of non-refoulement,

Reiterating the call upon all parties to the armed conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and the environment, and to spare civilian objects, including those critical to the delivery of essential services to the civilian population, refraining from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, and respecting and protecting humanitarian personnel and consignments used for humanitarian relief operations,

Reaffirming the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in the provision of humanitarian assistance, and reaffirming also the need for all actors engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance in situations of complex emergencies to promote and fully respect these principles,

1. Reiterates the need for the full implementation of resolution ES-11/1 of 2 March 2022, entitled “Aggression against Ukraine”;

2. Demands an immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular of any attacks against civilians and civilian objects;

3. Also demands that civilians, including humanitarian personnel, journalists and persons in vulnerable situations, including women and children, be fully protected;

4. Further demands full respect for and protection of all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities;

5. Demands full respect for and protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure that is critical to the delivery of essential services in armed conflict;

6. Also demands that all parties protect civilians fleeing armed conflict and violence, including foreign nationals, notably students, without discrimination, to allow voluntary, safe and unhindered passage;

7. Further demands that the parties comply with their obligation to ensure the safe and unhindered humanitarian access of humanitarian personnel as well as their means of transport, supplies and equipment to those in need in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries;

8. Stresses that the sieges of cities in Ukraine, in particular the city of Mariupol, further aggravate the humanitarian situation for the civilian population and hamper evacuation efforts, and therefore demands to put an end to these sieges;

9. Condemns all violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, and calls upon all parties to the armed conflict to strictly respect international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949¹ and Additional Protocol I thereto, of 1977² and to respect international human rights law and international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement, as applicable;

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1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973.

2 Ibid., vol. 1125, No. 17512.

10. Calls upon Member States to fully fund the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, the flash appeal launched by the United Nations for the humanitarian response in Ukraine, as well as the regional refugee response plan for Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, and notes with concern the findings in the Global Humanitarian Overview 2022, including its February 2022 update;

11. Welcomes and urges the continued efforts by the Secretary-General, Member States, entities of the United Nations system and the international community to deliver humanitarian assistance as well as assistance and protection for refugees, and also welcomes the appointment by the Secretary-General of a United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine;

12. Reiterates its request to the Emergency Relief Coordinator to provide a report on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and on the humanitarian response, in accordance with its resolution ES-11/1, and requests the Secretary-General to brief the General Assembly, on a regular basis, on the implementation of the present resolution;

13. Strongly encourages the continued negotiations between all parties, and again urges the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine through political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means in accordance with international law;

14. Decides to adjourn the eleventh emergency special session of the General Assembly temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly to resume its meetings upon request from Member States