ICLEI Europe expresses its solidarity and support for the people of Ukraine that are affected by the military attacks and acts of war. We condemn this attack on Ukraine and the break of the principle of territorial integrity and international law. It does not only bring an unnecessary loss of human lives, suffering to innocent families and children in Ukraine, but will also have severe negative impacts on the lives of the people in Russia, surrounding countries, and indeed globally. This break of fundamental principles and international law is contrary to everything we as ICLEI stand for.
ICLEI Europe urgently calls on all involved national leaders to stop the current armed conflict and to settle for a peaceful resolution in accordance with the UN Charter and the Convention on Human Rights.
Peace and respect for human rights are a crucial foundation of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. War causes catastrophic loss of life and directly impacts climate neutrality, resilience, circularity, biodiversity, and socially inclusive and equitable development. War and armed conflict are gravely aggravating our planetary crises and are not contributing in any way to solving them.
We kindly ask our member cities particularly in Europe to support their fellow mayors and the people in Ukraine with humanitarian aid and to offer shelter and support for the refugees that are forced to leave the war-struck country.
Above all, we call on the international community and regional structures in Europe and globally, to stand together and take the necessary steps to immediately restore peace across Europe, to respect and protect the life of each human being entangled in this conflict, to immediately stabilise international relations and to ensure that the international and regional structures set up in the 20th Century for the very purposes of ensuring world peace immediately fulfil their mandates to the fullest sense, without fear or hesitation.
ICLEI Europe stands with every governor, mayor and local leader, every affected family and every community – now and in the future – in standing strong and united in surviving and overcoming these current threats.
Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine.
This statement is issued on behalf of ICLEI Europe by its Regional Executive Committee.