The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, stated Saturday that pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine were obliged to abide by international law and protect civilians.
If separatists break international law, Pillay said, the international community can bring them to justice.
“These groups are obliged to respect international law, and they need to protect civilians. If they do not, the international community can hold them to account. We have the International Criminal Court, which is going against these groups.
The UN High Commissioner’s were reported by Deutsche Welle Saturday.
Pillay said that all governments that have any influence on the separatists should apply that influence.
She also likened the situation in Ukraine to situations in Africa, where the has also had a strong presence policing, providing care and mediating the conflict.
“The UN High Commissioner for human rights violations reacts very quickly,” said Pillay. “After the conflict broke out in the eastern Ukraine and the Central African Republic, our teams were to initiate investigations in a short time on the ground.
“In Ukraine, we have documented extensive violations of human rights. People in conflict situations can contact us directly and put forward their cases. But many governments take human rights more seriously than before. So let all UN member states review their human rights by the UN. Experts of the UN Human Rights Council to control the situation and make recommendations.”
Pillay qualified her statement abut the responsiveness of the UN by noting that sometimes the UN is held back because it can often only act after the outbreak of conflict or violence.
By Day Blakely Donaldson