Ministry Statements & Speeches:
New Zealand unequivocally condemns any form of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance, including Nazism and neo-Nazism.
However, we are deeply concerned by this resolution. Russia is seeking to misappropriate false narratives, including the glorification of Nazism, as a pretext for aggression and the use of force against a Member State. This misappropriates one of the darkest moments in our global history.
We condemn Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, and reiterate our call for Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russia continues to seek to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism. This resolution is a vehicle for Russia to continue promoting this false narrative.
In this regard, New Zealand was pleased to cosponsor the amendment to this resolution.
New Zealand also reiterates our serious concerns with the way in which this resolution mischaracterises the obligations of Member States with respect to international human rights law and the provisions of the UN Charter.
New Zealand stands against Nazism and antisemitism in all its forms. We further regret that there has been no attempt to broaden the scope of this resolution to reflect additional contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance.
It is critical that we take an inclusive and intersectional approach to addressing these issues.
Thank you.