Firefighters remove a dead body from debris of a building after Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Oct. 10, 2022. (File photo/Jose Colon-Anadolu Agency)
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Tuesday that Manila has supported a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for Russia to pay war reparations.
No further statement, however, was issued by the agency.
The UNGA adopted Monday the text titled, "Furtherance of Remedy and Reparation for Aggression Against Ukraine," during its 11th Emergency Special Session, supporting the establishment of a mechanism for Russia to compensate for damage and loss of life since its aggression in Ukraine in February 2022.
The resolution calls for the establishment of an international mechanism for reparation as well as a registry to document evidence and claims.
The said text recognizes that Russia must be held accountable for any violations of international law in Ukraine and that it must "bear the legal consequences of all its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for the injury, including any damage, caused by such acts."
A total of 94 states voted in favor, 14 against, while 73 abstained, including some Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam and Indonesia.
Indonesia, in explaining its vote, said the underlying message of the text should have been that the war must stop and that sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.
It said the proposed mechanism must be "built upon a foundation of due process" to ensure a just reparation effort.
"We are concerned that a lack thereof may prevent the General Assembly to act prudently and decide prematurely, particularly when the terms of operation of this initiative have yet to be decided and will be negotiated outside the framework of the Assembly," its representative said.
"Given the explanation by the sponsors that the mechanism will be set up outside the UN system, we further question the need for this resolution. A General Assembly resolution at this stage may lead us to a slippery slope," the representative added. (PNA)
