Statement by Political Coordinator of Slovenia to the United Nations Klemen Ponikvar at the briefing on the threats to international peace and security, called by the Russian Federation

I wish to thank USG Nakamitsu for her briefing.

Let me make a couple of points on behalf of my delegation:

Firstly, every country has an inalienable right to defend itself in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. By extension, every country has the right to procure the means to defend themselves. As underlined by USG Nakamitsu, the acquisition itself must be in line with the international legal framework, which among others includes resolutions adopted by this Council.

It is worth pointing to the source of inconsistencies with international law during this war. It is Russia that illegally invaded Ukraine. At the same time, for over a year now, reports about artillery shell and ballistic missile transfers from the DPRK have been mounting. And these weapons have been sustaining the ongoing aggression. This represents a violation of Security Council resolutions and needs to be further addressed. The Wednesday’s briefing was informative in this regard.

Secondly, we are gravely concerned with the extent of mine use in Ukraine. Russia has already laid an estimated two million mines, making Ukraine the most mine contaminated country in the world. To date, more than 1200 civilian victims of mines and explosive remnants of war were documented. This is just the start, as these weapons will pose a threat to the civilian population for years to come. In this regard, we call for the full respect of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

Madam President,

Slovenia is gravely concerned with the escalation of this war. It is engulfing more and more territories, we are witnessing ever-larger aerial attacks, and use of modernised weapons with more firepower.  Each day of the war increases the risk of spill over and of crossing the point of no return. We need peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and it cannot come a moment too soon. But for it to last, it needs to be in line with the UN Charter and international law.

I thank you.

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