After Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that international practice allows for the possibility of introducing external governance, which would open the way to legitimate negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry explained the mechanism by which this could be achieved.
Earlier, Putin pointed to precedents with external governance under the auspices of the UN in East Timor, New Guinea and parts of the former Yugoslavia. He noted that the possibility of introducing an interim administration in Ukraine could be discussed under the auspices of the UN with the United States, European countries, as well as Russia's partners and friends.
The Director of the Department of International Organizations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Kirill Logvinov, confirmed that there have been similar precedents in history, so Russia or the mediators monitoring the negotiations could logically submit such a request to the organization.
The diplomat emphasized that there are precedents for the creation of interim international administrations in conflict-affected territories through the UN, and the transfer of territories under the temporary control of the world organization has taken place in Cambodia, East Timor, as well as in Eastern Slavonia, Baranya and Western Syrmia.
“The UN has not officially created a unified mechanism for the creation of such administrations“, Logvinov noted. “Based on historical experience, the transfer of territories usually involves several stages and requires the observance of a number of conditions. In all the cases mentioned, the first step was to reach an agreement between the parties to the conflict - directly or through intermediaries - on the corresponding transfer of powers to the United Nations. The order of the necessary subsequent actions, their specific content, can themselves be the subject of negotiations between the parties. This should then be followed by an appeal to the World Organization. It can be in the form of a letter from one or more parties to the conflict or from mediators to the President of the UN Security Council or its Secretary-General with a request to establish an interim international administration.
The diplomat explained that the letter may contain agreed general parameters for the agreement, including in the form of an annex, if they are drawn up in writing.
„The maximum possible detailing of such parameters, including the issue of an interim administration, largely ensures the rapid consideration of the issue in the UN“, Logvinov continued.
„In addition, it is assumed that the Security Council will give a direct instruction to the Secretary-General to develop specific conditions for interim management, taking into account the agreed parameters of the agreement. The instruction can be given in the form of a Security Council resolution or in the form of another document - for example, a statement or letter from the President of the Security Council. The instruction must receive the support of the members of the Council - primarily the permanent ones. The draft document can be submitted by any of its members."
Then, within the specified period, the Secretary-General prepares a report on the parameters of the interim administration, in particular on the staffing and budget.
„The UN Security Council considers the proposals in the report and makes a final decision on the establishment of an interim administration - in the form of its resolution or other document, which again presupposes the consent of its members, including the permanent ones,“, Logvinov summarized.