United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has said that the Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine has displaced more than ten million people in just one month which he claimed is the fastest forced population movement since the Second World War. Guterres who made this known when giving his remarks at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Tuesday, said analysis indicated that 74 developing countries, with a total population of 1.2 billion people, are particularly vulnerable to spiking food, energy and fertilizer costs.
UN Chief stated that war in Ukraine is one of the greatest challenges ever to the international order and the global peace architecture, founded on the United Nations Charter. "Because of its nature, intensity, and consequences. "We are dealing with the full-fledged invasion, on several fronts, of one Member State of the United Nations, Ukraine, by another, the Russian Federation, a Permanent Member of the Security Council in violation of the United Nations Charter, and with several aims, including redrawing the internationally-recognized borders between the two countries".
He lamented that the war has led to senseless loss of life, massive devastation in urban centres, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. "I will never forget the horrifying images of civilians killed in Bucha. I immediately called for an independent investigation to guarantee effective accountability.
"I am also deeply shocked by the personal testimony of rapes and sexual violence that are now emerging. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has spoken of possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law", he said.
According to him, "Far beyond Ukraine’s borders, the war has led to massive increases in the prices of food, energy and fertilizers, because Russia and Ukraine are lynchpins of these markets. It has disrupted supply chains, and increased the cost of transportation, putting even more pressure on the developing world.
"Many developing countries were already on the verge of debt collapse, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of adequate liquidity and debt relief, stemming ultimately from the unfair nature of our global economic and financial system. For all these reasons, it is more urgent by the day to silence the guns", he said. The Secretary-General further said it is his duty to call the attention of the Council to the serious damage the war being done to the global economy, and particularly to vulnerable people and developing countries. "Debt obligations take up some 16 percent of developing countries’ export earnings.
"In small island developing states, the figure is 34 percent and rising, because of increased interest rates and the need to pay for expensive imports. In the past month alone, wheat prices have increased by 22 percent, maize by 21 percent and barley by 31 percent. "Brent oil prices on 1 April were more than 60 percent higher than at the same time last year. A series of events have led to that not only the present situation. Natural gas and fertilizer prices more than doubled over the same period. We are already seeing some countries move from vulnerability into crisis, and signs of serious social unrest".
Guterres explained that the Global Crisis Response Group on food, energy and finance that are set up last month has formulated some initial recommendations for the consideration of Member States, International Financial Institutions and others.
On food, he urged all countries to keep markets open, resist unjustified and unnecessary export restrictions, and make reserves available to countries at risk of hunger and famine. "This is not the time for protectionism. Humanitarian appeals must be fully funded. People caught up in crisis around the world cannot pay the price for this war.
On energy, Guterres said the use of strategic stockpiles and additional reserves could help to ease the energy crisis in the short term. "But the only medium- and long-term solution is to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, which is not impacted by market fluctuations. This will allow the progressive phase-out of coal and all other fossil fuels. Renewables are already cheaper in most cases".
On finance, the UN Chief further stated that international financial institutions must go into emergency mode. "We need urgent action by the G20 and international financial institutions to increase liquidity and fiscal space so that governments can provide safety nets for the poorest and most vulnerable. He concluded that the war in Ukraine must stop now. "We need serious negotiations for peace, based on the principles of the United Nations Charter. This Council is charged with maintaining peace and doing so in solidarity.
Guterres deeply regretted the divisions that have prevented the Security Council from acting not only on Ukraine, but on other threats to peace and security around the world.
While urged the Council to do everything in its power to end the war and to mitigate its impact, both on the suffering people of Ukraine, and on vulnerable people and developing countries around the world.
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