Herashchenko says that the UN was surprised that Churkin 'shut her up'
Iryna Herashchenko, the representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group reported to UN representatives on violations of children’s and women’s rights in the Donbas.
She stated on Facebook that she met with the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who is also the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. They had discussions in the offices of the special representative of the UN Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict. "All these structures have very little information regarding the real situation in the occupied territories of the Donbas, because all violations of children’s and women’s rights by Russia in the Donbas, including their involvement in the conflict, are not reflected in the annual reports of the Secretary General—and that’s wrong,” Herashchenko noted.
"I’ve provided representatives with facts, invited them to come to Ukraine and expressed the position that violence against women and children from occupiers in the Donbas must be reflected in the annual report,” she said. “Unfortunately, there’s a war on in Europe too! And it is Russia who started this war.”
She also discussed with Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Volodymyr Yelchenko, the preparation of the resolution on the Crimea, which will be put to a vote on 15 November. "Now the Russian Federation is actively working with its sympathizers regarding its voting. Ukraine should consolidate all efforts to support this resolution,” Herashchenko said.
"And that’s why I address the Ukrainian diaspora and all our friends abroad: intensify efforts, get your governments to understand that they cannot let Russia get away with theft of territories and violation of international law. And we will prepare the relevant statement from the Committees on Foreign affairs and European Integration and will send it out to all international partners.”
Herashchenko noted that in January 2017, the new UN Secretary General will start work; and he allegedly considers gender issues and women’s involvement in peace-building processes to be one of the priorities.
"All present in open debates were surprised by Churkin’s (Russian representative to the UN) behavior, who didn’t give me a right to speak even one line, although I believe that the information outlined in my speech about Russia’s atrocities is high priority,” she said. "Diplomats from other countries were astonished and promised Ukraine that they would check parliamentary procedures to see whether it is possible at all because in their experience it was the first time the chairman did not allow comments after his boorish behavior against Ukraine. Churkin stated: you will have a right to remark after 100 speakers.”
According to her, we have to shout "from all rostrums" about the sufferings of Ukrainians "because it’s the Kremlin’s dream: to talk long, to lull, and when someone reminds them about their atrocities, they say 'shut up'.”