Discurso do Representante Permanente, Embaixador Sérgio França Danese, em reunião do Conselho de Segurança sobre a Ucrânia - 17 de julho de 2023 (texto em inglês)

Mister President,

I thank USG Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. Brazil deeply regrets the continuing loss of human life, especially innocent civilians. We extend our solidarity to the families of the victims and to the millions of Ukrainian nationals who find themselves as refugees or internally displaced.

Once again, we join our voice to those of other members in condemning the attacks against residential areas and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, especially hospitals and schools. We remind that parties in conflict have clear obligations under international law and international humanitarian law.

We believe, however, that just the condemnation of illegal actions in the course of this war, in itself, will not bring us closer to peace. We urge both sides to de-escalate the fighting and initiate discussions on parameters for a comprehensive peace agreement, taking into account Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the legitimate security concerns of all parties, in line with principles of the UN Charter.

We encourage the parties to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict, in accordance with Article 33 of the Charter. This is the core of the many proposals for facilitating dialogue coming from different corners, such as the peace initiative of African leaders last month.

Massive transfers of highly lethal weapons to the battlefront can further undermine prospects for a peaceful outcome. The increasing flow of weapons into the conflict in Ukraine will only fuel more violence and won't contribute to ending it. The presence of arms and ammunition in large quantities tends to become a destabilizing factor in the long term, compromising the chances of a lasting peace in the region and fueling conflict everywhere.

Brazil renews its appeal to the parties to give first priority to the well-being of civilian populations, on both sides of the front lines.

Mister President,

The conflict in Ukraine affects us all, including in regions far from the combat zone. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the side effects of the war on their economy and their food and energy security.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative has made an important contribution to stabilizing international food and fertilizer prices. In recent months, full implementation of the Istanbul agreements has become increasingly difficult, compromising the regularity of trade in agricultural products and inputs through ports in the Black Sea.

In the absence of an agreement for a comprehensive and lasting peace, we urge the parties involved to spare no efforts to renew what USG DiCarlo described, in one of our previous meetings, as a "beacon of hope".

We welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General in the constant search for a compromise between the parties, in order to ensure food security and adequate nutrition for millions of people, especially in the least developed countries. This will keep up the hope that in some way this conflict will end.

Thank you.