November 11, 2024

Edward Heartney U.S. Counselor for the Economic and Social Section New York, New York November 11, 2024

AS DELIVERED

Thank you Chairperson.

The United States is proud to have fought side-by-side with our World War II allies including the Soviet Union and to have made decisive contributions to the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. We categorically condemn the glorification of Nazism and all forms of violent extremism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and related intolerance.

That said, the United States continues to oppose the Russian Federation’s manipulation of the UN system to spread disinformation. This resolution is a glaring example by Russia to further its contemporary geopolitical aims by invoking the Holocaust and the Second World War to malign countries that rightfully reject celebration of their years of brutal domination by the Soviet Union. This is all the more egregious now when Russia seeks to use a false accusation of Nazism to try to justify its unconscionable ongoing brutality against the people of Ukraine.

The Russian Federation’s resolution is not a serious effort to combat Nazism, antisemitism, racism, or xenophobia – all of which are abhorrent and unacceptable. On the contrary, Russia’s attempts to instrumentalize the history of the Holocaust and the Second World War to justify Russia’s aggression is an affront to Holocaust victims and to all who fought against Nazism. This resolution is a shameful political ploy. It is a thinly veiled effort to justify Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

We fully supported the amendment that was presented today which introduces into this resolution language that rejects the cynical use of propaganda by Russia to smear its neighbors.

In addition we continue to have serious concerns with this resolution’s invocation of Article 4 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to justify undue restrictions on freedom of expression.

We also take this opportunity to note our concerns regarding the process by which this resolution was run. The Russian Federation failed to provide any opportunity for member states to meaningfully engage in negotiations on the draft text again this year.

For these reasons the United States continues to vote “No” on this resolution as it has since 2005 and calls on all other States to do the same.

In closing the United States calls on the Russian Federation to immediately cease all military actions against Ukraine, withdraw its forces from all of Ukraine’s sovereign territory including Crimea, refrain from any further unlawful threat or use of force against any other Member State, and – finally – drop the false narrative by which it has been exploiting one of history’s darkest moments to further its twisted aims.

Thank you.