Stop Russia’s War against Ukraine and
Restore the UN’s Ability to Protect Peace
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has now continued for a fifth year. Its intensity is only increasing.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, in the first six months of 2026 alone, at least 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 were injured in Ukraine. The number of civilian casualties was 37% higher than during the same period in 2025 and twice as high as in 2024. The overwhelming majority of verified casualties occurred in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine. Many experts believe that the actions of Russian forces bear the hallmarks of genocide.
The President of Russia openly states that he does not recognize the existence of the Ukrainian nation. Certain representatives of the Russian authorities publicly threaten nuclear war.
Since 2014, the UN General Assembly has repeatedly reaffirmed the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and condemned Russia’s violation of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.
On 24 February 2026, the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/ES-11/10. It once again reaffirmed the territorial integrity of Ukraine, expressed serious concern over the escalation of Russian attacks against civilians, civilian objects and critical energy infrastructure, and called for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The resolution was supported by 107 States, while 12 voted against it and 51 abstained. This constitutes a majority of the 193 members of the General Assembly.
However, the decisions adopted remain without an effective enforcement mechanism. The UN Security Council is unable to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to it when a permanent member of the Council is simultaneously a party to the war and is able to block decisions through its veto.
This situation undermines the entire system of collective security and creates a dangerous precedent: a State possessing the right of veto is able to use force against another State while simultaneously obstructing measures aimed at ending the aggression and protecting its victims.
In connection with the opening of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in September 2026, we call upon Member States to take the following actions.
1. Achieve an immediate ceasefire, including an end to the shelling of territories
Reaffirm the demand for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire and call upon the parties to agree, under international supervision, on the procedures for its implementation.
A ceasefire and a temporary line of effective control must not imply recognition of any change to international borders.
2. Ensure compliance with the UN’s humanitarian demands
Demand:
● a complete exchange of prisoners of war;
● the release of all unlawfully detained civilians;
● the return of interned, forcibly displaced and deported persons, including children;
● safe and unhindered humanitarian access;
● compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties.
These demands are already enshrined in resolution A/RES/ES-11/10 and must be accompanied by specific deadlines and a monitoring mechanism.
3. Establish a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of resolutions
Resume the 11th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, “Uniting for Peace”, and instruct the UN Secretary-General to submit regular reports to Member States on:
● compliance with the ceasefire;
● civilian casualties;
● attacks on civilian objects and energy infrastructure;
● the situation of prisoners of war and unlawfully detained persons;
● the return of deported children;
● humanitarian access;
● the progress of international negotiations.
The report should be considered by the General Assembly at established intervals until a lasting peaceful settlement is achieved.
Should the resumption of the 11th Emergency Special Session be rejected, accountability for every use of the veto must be strengthened through the application of General Assembly resolution 76/262, which provides for the convening of a meeting of the Assembly within ten working days following the use of a veto in the Security Council. This mechanism must be used not as a formality, but as an instrument of political accountability.
A State that has exercised its veto must publicly explain:
● how its actions comply with the UN Charter;
● why the blocked decision could not be adopted;
● what alternative measures it proposes to protect civilians and restore peace.
4. Restrict the use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocities
We call upon all States to support the French-Mexican initiative launched in 2015, under which permanent members of the Security Council would voluntarily refrain from using the veto in situations involving genocide, large-scale war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As of July 2026, the initiative had been supported by 118 States. It does not require an amendment to the UN Charter and constitutes a voluntary political commitment by the permanent members of the Security Council.
We call upon:
— France and Mexico to submit this initiative to the 81st session of the General Assembly as a draft political resolution that would:
● call upon additional States to join the initiative;
● endorse the principle of refraining from the use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocities;
● require permanent members of the Security Council to state publicly whether they are prepared to undertake such a commitment;
● provide for an annual report on the use and threatened use of the veto in such situations.
— States to identify mechanisms for applying the voluntary restraint on the use of the veto, relying on the assessments of the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine, which have been characterized as war crimes.
5. Ensure the application of Article 27 of the UN Charter
Article 27, paragraph 3, of the Charter provides that, when the Security Council adopts decisions concerning the peaceful settlement of disputes, a State that is a party to the dispute must abstain from voting. Unfortunately, this provision of the Charter has so far not made it possible to compel a member of the Security Council to refrain from exercising its veto.
We call upon the members of the Security Council to seek the consistent application of this provision to all States without exception. No permanent member of the Council should be permitted simultaneously to participate in an armed conflict and use its privileged vote to block the peaceful settlement of that conflict.
6. Prepare an international mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire
Once a ceasefire has been agreed, an international observer or peacekeeping mission must be established with clearly defined:
● legal basis;
● mandate;
● composition;
● command structure;
● rules governing the use of force;
● procedures for access to the line of contact;
● security guarantees;
● mechanisms for investigating violations.
The deployment of such a mission must not imply recognition of the occupation or the transformation of a temporary line of control into an international border.
Appeal to Civil Society
We call upon human rights, humanitarian, anti-war, religious, professional and civil society organizations in different countries to unite their efforts by the opening of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
It is necessary to:
● send appeals to governments and permanent missions of States to the United Nations;
● seek a public response from every State regarding the proposed demands;
● hold international conferences and meetings with diplomats;
● organize peaceful public actions in New York and other cities;
● call upon the General Assembly to provide a platform for victims of the war, prisoners of war, deported children, human rights defenders and Russian anti-war activists;
● conduct open monitoring of the positions and voting records of States.
Our campaign is not directed against the Russian people. Millions of Russian citizens did not make the decision to start the war, and many openly opposed it, were subjected to repression and imprisonment, or were forced to leave the country.
We oppose the unpunished use of force, the rule of the strongest, and the transformation of the Security Council into an instrument for protecting a State that violates the UN Charter.
We call upon the Member States of the United Nations to prove that international law applies to everyone, regardless of military power, political influence or possession of the right of veto.
Andrei Sakharov Institute Association, Paris
https://www.sakharov.fr
levpon4141@gmail.com
We ask you to sign this letter and to inform us at the email address provided whether the letter is being signed on behalf of your organization, by you as a representative of the organization, or by you in your personal capacity.
We also ask you to forward this letter to those addresses that you consider important for securing urgent support for this campaign.
Please write to us regarding what you believe should be added to this appeal, as well as which of the actions proposed in the section “Appeal to Civil Society” you are prepared to undertake.
We understand that the reform of the United Nations is a global issue and that the failure to resolve it for decades has already resulted in millions of victims. We therefore hope to continue working, together with the individuals and organizations that sign this appeal, within the framework of a global campaign after the conclusion of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.