UN General Assembly calls for protection of civilians and a just peace in Ukraine

This year, 130 Heads of State and Government are expected to take part, presenting their countries’ positions on the most pressing issues of our time.

Opening the General Debate for the final time as UN Secretary-General, António Guterres stressed that peace, development and human rights are inseparable pillars of the UN Charter, and that human dignity and rights cannot be divorced from security and opportunity.

“In Ukraine, Russia’s full-scale invasion has subjected a sovereign country to a brutal war in blatant violation of the Charter,” the UN Secretary-General said. “We must defend the Charter without double standards. Protect civilians without exception. Ensure humanitarian access without obstruction.”

On 23 September, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the general debate, calling for an end to the war. Ukraine also featured prominently in discussions during a meeting of the UN Security Council.

The discussions focused primarily on the rising number of civilian casualties, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities far from the front line, the protection of civilians, humanitarian access to the territories of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, and the need to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said: “In the first eight months alone, more civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine than during the entirety of 2025. The high number of civilian casualties reported so far in September indicates that this deeply troubling trend is continuing.”

She reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for intensified diplomatic efforts towards an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire.

Fifty-one UN Member States called on Russia to agree to an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire and to engage in meaningful peace negotiations. The joint statement was issued ahead of the UN Security Council meeting.

Follow the General Debate at the link.