Statement by the Grieving Nations of Flight MH17 represented at the United Nations - PR UN New York
Statement by the Grieving Nations of Flight MH17 represented at the United Nations
On behalf of the governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam.
On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian territory. All 298 innocent people on board including 80 children died as a result. The victims came from 17 different countries. They were taken from us for no reason, without warning. The pain of their passing is still felt intensely today by their families and friends all over the world.
Today we commemorate the 10 years since the downing of Flight MH17. As nations grieving the lives of our civilians killed on Flight MH17, we wish to underline that we remain committed to achieving truth, justice and accountability for the victims of the downing of Flight MH17 and their next of kin. Those who have been left behind deserve closure. They need to know that everything that can be done has been done to prevent these tragedies from happening in the future.
The ten-year commemoration memorial services which take place in the Netherlands and around the world today bring back painful memories and strong emotions. We renew our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, and we reiterate our full support for all efforts to establish truth, justice and accountability, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2166.
The Grieving Nations call for the perpetrators of this tragedy to be held accountable, and to cooperate fully to deliver truth, justice and accountability for the victims and their next of kin.