imposed a wave of sanctions on Russian officials and businesses. In light of the conflict, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland, issued a statement calling for the recognition of shared values of peace, security, democracy, justice and respect for international law, principles which run through the Commonwealth Charter, but are not limited to the members of the association.
“The acts of aggression unfolding in Ukraine are an egregious assault on our fundamental principles and our shared beliefs. They threaten the very core of the integrity of our multilateral architecture, for which the Commonwealth Charter reifies,” she said. The Secretary-General went on to say that these acts of aggression should not pass without consequence. “Today, more than ever before, war and invasion cannot be legitimised as a means of statecraft, and the very notion of doing so stands in stark contrast to the values and principles that undergird the Commonwealth and the world as we know it” she added.
Scotland also expressed her concern over many Commonwealth citizens who are currently caught in this ongoing violence, and went on to commend those countries which have called for peace and offered aid and shelter to those displaced as a result of this conflict. The Secretary-General said this was a culmination of the gradual fraying of a rules-based international order and a reminder that the structures which guarantee life as we know it can be easily undone by humanity.
“To this end, a peaceful resolution is absolutely critical,” she said. “We, along with members of the Commonwealth, are calling for the cessation of these acts of Russian aggression and an end to the violence, whilst intensifying the pursuit of diplomacy to diffuse the tensions which have brought this crisis upon the world.”
