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Security Council Vote on the draft resolution concerning flight MH17
Statement by H.E. M. Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg:
"Mr President,
Luxembourg welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2166. We commend Australia, and more specifically my colleague Julie Bishop, for having taken the initiative to prepare this important decision of the Council.
Luxembourg has voted in favour of the draft resolution and has cosponsored it for three reasons: to condemn in the strongest terms the downing of a civilian aircraft of Malaysia Airlines in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on 17 July; to express our solidarity with the families and friends of the victims who were on board of flight MH17, as well as with their countries of origin; finally, to express our support for the on-going efforts to shed light on this catastrophe, through a full, thorough and independent international investigation in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines. Such an investigation is the only way to determine who is responsible for this unspeakable act.
Despite everything that divides us on the crisis concerning Ukraine, the Security Council has finally been able to reach a consensus on this resolution. This is the least we could do to honour the memory of the 298 victims of this catastrophe, 298 lives lost to a crisis for which they bore no responsibility whatsoever, a crisis that has gone on for too long.
On behalf of the people and the Government of Luxembourg, I would like to express our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the 298 individuals who were on board of flight MH17. Among the victims was a family living in Luxembourg, an Anglo-Dutch couple and two of their sons, aged 12 and 14. We share the grief of the people and Governments of the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Ireland and Vietnam. Allow me to have a special thought for the Netherlands, a country with which we have close ties, which has been struck in a particularly cruel manner by this catastrophe. I salute my colleague and friend, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans, who is with us today, and I assure him of our fraternal support in this difficult time.
Mr President,
Everything must now be done for the full implementation of the resolution we have just adopted. There must be support for the efforts under way by Ukraine, in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organisation and international experts, including representatives of States who have lost nationals on board of the aircraft, to institute an international investigation into the downing of flight MH17.
The behaviour of illegal armed groups present on the scene of the disaster is unacceptable. These groups must comply with the demands of the Security Council and must immediately provide safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the crash site near the village of Grabovo, in Eastern Ukraine, for the appropriate investigating authorities, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and representatives of other relevant international organisations. The illegal armed groups must refrain from any further actions that may compromise the integrity of the crash site and must immediately cease all military activities in the immediate area surrounding it. We welcome in this regard the decision by President Poroshenko to declare with immediate effect a unilateral ceasefire in a radius of 40 km around the scene of the tragedy.
Resolution 2166 underlines clearly that the bodies of the victims are to be treated in a dignified, respectful and professional manner. All parties concerned must ensure that this happens with immediate effect.
We call upon the Russian Federation actively and without delay to use its influence on the illegal armed groups so that they stop their actions and despicable manoeuvers aiming at blocking a proper investigation. The Russian Federation must bring its full weight to bear to bring these groups to stop obstructing the investigation and stop removing elements of damning evidence, notably the debris of the missile used to shoot down the plane. The bodies of the victims must be returned to their families and the black boxes must be surrendered to the appropriate authorities.
The international investigation into the tragic incident of July 17th must ascertain the facts and responsibilities. In the resolution it has just adopted, the Council rightly demands that those responsible for this incident be held to account for this despicable act and that all States cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. The Security Council must remain vigilant on this point, on the basis of the investigation-related reports which the Secretary-General will submit to the Council. We owe it to the victims and their families and friends that justice is served and that those responsible for this criminal act are held accountable.
Mr President,
The death of 298 innocent human beings leaves a deep void. This catastrophe reminds us in a cruel way how urgent it is to de-escalate the tensions in Eastern Ukraine. This crisis has gone on for too long. Its human toll is growing day by day. We must redouble diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the crisis. The first priority is to establish a genuine and sustainable ceasefire, which is observed by all parties, in order to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of President Poroshenko’s peace plan.
We welcome efforts made in this regard by France and Germany as well as the OSCE in order to encourage dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. It is high time that all concerned parties, in particular the Russian Federation, commit in good faith to ending this crisis. So that the date of July 17th, 2014 may enter the history books not only as the day on which 298 innocent people tragically lost their lives, but also as the day marking a decisive turning point towards the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.
Thank you.