Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Carlos França, at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine - September 22nd, 2022

Madam President,

I thank France for organizing this meeting. The conflict in Ukraine affects all of us, even in regions far from where hostilities are taking place. The Security Council is the appropriate forum to seek a solution that ensures lasting peace.

This week marks seven months since the start of the conflict. Tens of thousands of people, many of them innocent civilians, lost their lives. There are millions of refugees and internally displaced persons, whose return to their homes remains uncertain and who, with the approach of winter, are faced with the prospect of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Over these seven months, this Council has received numerous reports of serious human rights violations in the conflict zone, including against vulnerable groups, women and children. Brazil condemns the abuses and defends an impartial investigation of the facts, so that those responsible are held accountable for their actions. We also reiterate our call for full respect for international humanitarian law by all parties.

Madam President,

We have an urgent task before us: to engage the parties in dialogue, in order to secure an immediate ceasefire and the opening of negotiations for a peace agreement. The continuation of the hostilities endangers the lives of innocent civilians and jeopardizes the food and energy security of millions of families in other regions, especially in developing countries. The risks of escalation arising from the current dynamics of the conflict are simply too great, and its consequences for the world order, unpredictable.

Only diplomacy brings the prospect of viable solutions to conflicts between states. It is not the time to accentuate divisions or isolate parties. The priority of this Council must be to create conditions for the parties to engage in negotiations for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Thank you.