STATEMENTS ON THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE: Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky (12/04/05)

STATEMENTS ON THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE

Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky

Below is the text of the statement by Valeriy Kuchinsky, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, at the memorial service for victims of the Holodomor at St. Patrick's Cathedral on November 19.

It has become a valuable tradition that every November St. Patrick's Cathedral welcomes those who feel deep sorrow for the tragedy of the Holodomor. Generations have come and gone, but the horrors of 1932-1933 remain in the hearts of the survivors and their descendants.

The whole truth about the Holodomor is not yet fully known to the world. We strongly believe that the international community must give that crime its proper name - genocide, which was planned and executed to destroy the Ukrainian people.

The Ukrainian authorities take every opportunity to remind the international community of the Holodomor. Addressing the 2005 World Summit in September here in New York, the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, told the leaders of over 150 countries:

"I am appealing to you on behalf of the nation that has lost 10 million of human lives because of the Famine-Genocide arranged against our nation. At that time the governments of all countries turned their back to our grief. We insist that the world should come to know the truth about all the crimes against humanity. That is how we can be sure that indifference will never encourage the criminals."

In his address to the 60th session of the U.N. General Assembly a few days later, the minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine, Borys Tarasyuk, once again drew attention to the tragedy of our nation.

Seizing the opportunity of the Holocaust remembrance at the U.N. General Assembly earlier this month, I underlined in my statement that the Holodomor as well as the Holocaust continues to belong to those national tragedies which still await wider international recognition, I called on the representatives of states to recognize this crime against humanity as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation.

Two years ago, a Joint Statement on the 70th anniversary of the Holodomor, supported by over 60 delegations - one-third of the U.N. membership - was issued as an official document of the General Assembly. In this declaration, for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the Holodomor was officially recognized as the national tragedy of Ukrainian people caused by the cruel actions and policies of the totalitarian regime. Representatives from different parts of the world expressed their sympathy to the victims of the Holodomor and deplored the acts and policies that brought about the mass starvation and deaths of millions of people.

The House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress has adopted a resolution that allows Ukrainian officials to establish a memorial in Washington to honor the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933.

Ukraine will continue to do its utmost to bring the truth about the Holodomor to the world at large.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me read out the message from the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, on the occasion of the holding of today's memorial service.

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