Austria Supports Joint Statement for Ukraine's Case Against Russia Before the International Court of Justice
The European Union, Austria, and over 40 other nations have issued a statement supporting Ukraine's case before the International Court of Justice against Russia. In order to hold Russia accountable for its violations of international law, the Joint Statement has been released.
Over 40 states support Ukraine in a joint statement. / Picture: © ©International Court of Justice
A number of over 40 nations, including Austria, and the European Union this week released a statement of support to assist Ukraine in its case against Russia before the International Court of Justice. The Joint Statement is intended to help hold Russia accountable for its violations of international law.
The statement was made on behalf of the following nations: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.
In their statement, the countries reiterated their support for an international judicial process against Russia and declared that Russia has no legal basis for military action against Ukraine. According to the statement, Russia is in breach of its international obligations by not complying with a court order issued in March to suspend its military operations in the country.
In their statement, the signatories call on Russia to immediately cease the unjustified war and lay down its arms, citing the importance of the proceedings before the International Court of Justice. They go on to praise Ukraine for its efforts to ensure that the Court can fulfil its fundamental task of promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes.
As a result of World War II, the Genocide Convention was signed to prevent atrocities similar to those committed during that war from occurring again. According to the statement, it "embodies the solemn pledge" to prevent genocide and hold those responsible for it accountable.
At the end, they point out that Russia should be held accountable for its actions and that Russia must make urgent reparations for the loss and damage it has caused in Ukraine and cannot shirk responsibility.
The full statement:
„We reiterate our support for Ukraine's Application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which seeks to establish that Russia has no lawful basis to take military action in Ukraine on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations of genocide.
We reiterate the importance of these proceedings and urge, again, Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine, as ordered by the Court in its Order on Provisional Measures of 16 March 2022.
As the Court has repeatedly stated, its orders on provisional measures are legally binding on the Parties to the dispute. Therefore, failure to comply with the Court's 16 March 2022 Order constitutes a further breach, by Russia, of its international obligations.
We take note of the public statement of 1st July 2022, according to which Ukraine announced that it had submitted its Memorial to the Court.
We welcome once again Ukraine's efforts to ensure that international law is respected and that the Court can fulfill its fundamental function of promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The Genocide Convention embodies the solemn pledge to prevent the crime of genocide and hold those responsible to account. As the International Court of Justice itself stated in its advisory opinion of 28 May 1951 on reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the object of the Convention “on the one hand is to safeguard the very existence of certain human groups and on the other to confirm and endorse the most elementary principles of morality”.
It is in the interest of all States Parties to the Genocide Convention, and more broadly of the international community as a whole, that the Convention not be misused or abused. That is why the signatories of the present declaration which are Parties to the Genocide Convention intend to intervene in these proceedings.
In light of the serious questions raised in this case, and in view of the far-reaching consequences of the judgment that the Court will render, it is important that the States Parties to this Convention be able to share with the International Court of Justice their interpretation of some of its essential provisions.
In closing, we reiterate that Russia must be held accountable for its actions. In this regard, we consider that Russia's violations of international law engage its international responsibility, and that the losses and damage suffered by Ukraine as a result of Russia's violations of international law require full and urgent reparation by Russia, in accordance with the law of State responsibility."