Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Chair,
New Zealand unequivocally condemns all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance, including Nazism and neo-Nazism.
We are deeply concerned by this resolution. Russia is seeking to misappropriate false narratives, including the glorification of Nazism, as a pretext for its war of aggression against Ukraine which contravenes the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
We condemn Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and reiterate our call for Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and withdraw its troops immediately from inside Ukraine’s internationally-recognised borders.
In this regard, New Zealand was pleased to cosponsor the amendment to this resolution.
We continue to have serious concerns with the way in which this resolution mischaracterizes the obligations of Member States with respect to international human rights law and the provisions of the UN Charter.
New Zealand stands against Nazism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia in all its forms. We reiterate our concerns with the rising global trends of these ideologies, particularly in the current global context.
We further regret that there has been no attempt to broaden the scope of this resolution to reflect more contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance. In addressing these critical issues, it is vital that we take an inclusive and intersectional approach.
Thank you.