News reports around the planned meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska this week have so far been dominated by discourse about security and territory. While the international community's continuing commitment to ending the war in Ukraine is encouraging, it is crucial that human rights are integrated into peace negotiations.
A comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine can only be achieved if it is anchored in the international human rights framework. As the only universally agreed roadmap for honouring human dignity, human rights provide the reliable framework for settling disputes and form a solid foundation for just and sustainable peace-making. The best long-term defence against Russian aggression is to stand by our principles and defend the human rights and values that are under attack.
Ukraine, as the sovereign state that is the target of Russia's illegal aggression, must always be present at the negotiating table as pointed out by Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Those responsible for gross human rights violations and international crimes must be held accountable. Victims should receive reparations. All prisoners of war and all civilian detainees, including children, must be released. The human rights of people living in territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, to the extent that these areas may continue to be under occupation, must be respected. My recent Memorandum on human rights elements for peace in Ukraine offers insights into how to address these and other issues. Any peace agreement will be fragile unless human rights concerns are explicitly acknowledged and respected.
