40 Ukrainian Civil Society Groups Sign Kyiv Declaration, Issue Six Appeals To World Leaders

TMLFebruary 28, 2022

3 minutes read

As the Russia-Ukraine crisis rages on, 40 Ukrainian civil society organisations have issued the Kyiv Declaration, putting six urgent appeals before the international community.

Coordinating via encrypted apps, and face to face in underground shelters, signatories include the Ukrainian Helsinki Group for Human Rights, Come Back Alive, Ukraine Crisis Media Centre and Women’s Perspectives.

The CSOs are calling on the world to act now by standing with Ukraine.

From establishing safe zones to provide sanctuary for civilians, to providing air defence systems and anti-tank weaponry, the Kyiv Declaration sets out six humanitarian and military needs of a country under attack.

Lyubov Maksymovych, Chair of Women’s Perspectives, said: “We are issuing this declaration on behalf of Ukrainian women and men who stand together to fight for their liberty and freedoms.

“At this moment, it’s not too late to draw a line in the sand, here in Ukraine rather than through the centre of Europe – which is what will happen if we fail. We hope that western powers have learnt from the long failures of appeasement, and the obvious duplicity and inhumanity of Vladimir Putin. This is the most important declaration I have ever signed. If it is not answered, it could also be my last.”
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Olga Aivazovska, Chair of Elections Watchdog, Opora, said: “Now is the moment the world must demonstrate its support not only for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, but also for the values of democracy, human rights and freedom. With the Kyiv declaration, we ask for your help in defeating an autocratic dictator to defend not only Ukraine but the whole democratic world and the principles it is founded on.”

Also, Oleksandr Pavlichenko, the Executive Director of Ukrainian Helsinki Group for Human Rights, said: “Vladimir Putin and his henchmen believe they are above the law, that they can get away with this bloodshed because the world needs their gas and oil.

“We must prove them wrong. We must expose the truth. We must hold them to account in a court of law. Our declaration calls for the documentation and prosecution of their war crimes – the slain civilians, murdered children, the bombing of peaceful cities. Vladimir Putin must answer for his crimes against the Ukrainian people.”

The Kyiv Declaration
The 40 Ukrainian civil society groups – “are asking the international community to stand with Ukraine by demanding the international community take the following actions.”

Their appeals are to establish safe zones in Ukraine – To provide sanctuary for civilians from both air and ground attacks and to help prevent a tide of refugees fleeing to Europe; Provide immediate defensive military aid – including lethal and non-lethal assistance; Implement crippling sanctions to undermine Putin’s war machine; Provide immediate humanitarian aid; Freeze the assets and revoke the visas of Putin’s cronies, and Provide equipment to track war crimes immediately.

This six-point appeal has been signed by 40 Ukrainian civil society organisations in Kyiv and other cities under siege.
The organisations are:
1. Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, Nataliya Popovych

2. Civic Network Opora, Olga Aivazovska

3. Ukrainian Helsinki Group for Human Rights, Oleksandr Pavlichenko

4. Plast, Natalia Kolesnyk

5. Public Interest Journalism Lab, Natalia Gumeniuk

6. ZMINA Centre for Human Rights, Tetyana Pechonchyk

7. Ukrainian Institute London, Olesya Khomeychuk

8. Vostok SOS, Kostiantyn Reutskyi

9. ISAR Yednannia, Volodymyr Sheyhus

10. StopFake, Yevhen Fedchenko

11. Ukrainian Centre for Independent Policy Research, Yuliya Tyshchenko

12. Ukrainian Catholic University, Fr. Dr. Bohdan Prach

13. Centre for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk