UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Ukraine

On Sunday, December 4, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will start his four-day visit to Ukraine at the invitation of the Ukrainian government.

"The new High Commissioner, who was appointed to this post in September, is expected to visit Kyiv and neighboring regions, Kharkiv, Izyum and Uzhgorod. He will also meet with national and local government officials and representatives,"  the Voice of America reports.

On December 2, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published a statement on the devastating effect of the war on Ukrainian children.

The Commission also pays considerable attention to the destruction of civilian infrastructure, energy and transport networks.

UN experts remind that civilian infrastructure is protected by international humanitarian law, so they "intend to study this issue in detail" and submit a report to the UN Human Rights Council in March next year.

According to the UN, 6,557 civilians have been killed and 10,074 have been injured as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, it is noted that the real numbers are much higher as access to the combat zone is restricted.

As reported, on March 4, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution "Situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression." Pursuant to the document, the Council established the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

In October, the Commission presented a detailed written report to the UN General Assembly which recorded a large number of war crimes, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.

The commission consists of three people – Erik Møse of Norway (chair), Jasminka Džumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia.