Lithuania in the UN Security Council: it is necessary to establish accountability for MH17 downing
July 29, New York. The United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution that would allow to set up International Criminal Tribunal to establish responsibility for the crime associated with Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 downing. Lithuania regretted Russia’s veto which had denied a possibility for the families of the victims to bring perpetrators to justice. Lithuania will support further efforts to ensure perpetrators’ accountability for the disaster.
“Last year, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2166 calling for a response from the Security Council to this heinous crime, which threatened international peace and security, was adopted unanimously,” the representative of Lithuania reminded the Council meeting. “An International Tribunal would have been the best way to ensure impartiality, independence of the process,” said Baublys. He also pointed out that the Dutch-led independent international investigation enjoyed full trust and confidence by the concerned countries and the international community and was consistent with procedures and standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as the Chicago Convention.
According to the Lithuanian representative, the unhindered flow of arms, mercenaries and Russian tropps into the sovereign territory of Ukraine created conditions for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 disaster to happen. He stressed the need to implement the Minsk Agreements. The OSCE monitoring mission is still denied access to the Ukrainian–Russian border, large concentrations of heavy weapons is registered, illegally detained persons, including the Ukrainian Air Force pilot Nadia Savchenko, is not released.
11 UN Security Council member states, including Lithuania, voted in favour of the resolution. 3 members — China, Angola and Venezuela — abstained. Malaysia introduced the draft of the UN Security Council resolution on behalf of the Joint Investigation Team consisting of Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Malaysia. On 21 July 2014, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2166 stressing the need for a full, thorough and independent investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and demanding that those responsible be held to account.
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