Statement by: Ms Yunei Kim, First Secretary, Australian Mission to the UN

As delivered

Thank you Chair. 
Chair, we reiterate that hateful and divisive rhetoric has no place in Australia or anywhere in the world, online or offline.

As previously stated, the evidence presented from UN findings including the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, and the Russian President, demonstrate a direct correlation between Russia’s aggression against Ukraine under the purported basis of neo-Nazism, and this resolution.

This is of grave concern to Australia and we are pleased to see language that articulates Russia’s instrumentalization of this resolution adopted into the resolution, and thank member states for their support.

Australia voted against this resolution because we remain concerned that the Russian Federation is misrepresenting and politicising this resolution to justify its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, and because the Russian Federation did not afford due process to this important issue.

Contrary to the Russian Federation’s remarks, Australia voted in favour of the GA resolution on Measures to Combat Islamophobia adopted earlier this year, because the resolution took an inclusive approach and provided meaningful and genuine opportunity to debate combatting global hate and division.

We reiterate the utmost importance of combatting the glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and other contemporary forms of racism and intolerance.

The last time this resolution saw substantive changes or open negotiations was in 2021. In 2022, the Russian Federation simply presented the resolution denying any opportunities for member states to meaningfully engage in the resolution. It is of no coincidence that 2022 was also the year that the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, and since then, have continued its practice of denying member states meaningful engagement with the text.

Should the Russian Federation genuinely wish to combat the glorification of contemporary forms of Nazism, neo-Nazism, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, the Russian Federation should hold open and transparent dialogue on this resolution.

We also encourage the Russian Federation to embrace a more inclusive approach to addressing the diverse practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of Nazism, neo-Nazism, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. This would be a meaningful effort to ensure the atrocities of the second world war are never repeated.

We urge the Russian Federation to demonstrate that its intent is not to instrumentalise this process for its aggression on Ukraine, and afford member states the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and debate next year.