After two days of work and discussion, on Sunday, June 16, the Summit for Peace in Ukraine came to an end, an event co-organized by Ukraine and Switzerland, and held in the town of Bürgenstock, in the Swiss city of Lucerne. That is why, after the attendees agreed on a joint declaration in the closing plenary session, it was determined that the leaders of four countries, in addition to the co-organizers, would accompany the final declaration to the press: the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font; the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo; the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau; and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
At the event, President Gabriel Boric Font highlighted the importance of the summit to promote lasting peace dialogues, and highlighted Chile’s position regarding the conflict: “Chile, my country, a small nation in the south of the world, with a population of 20 million inhabitants, understands that only adherence to international law and the protection of human rights can guarantee peace. This summit and these convictions have nothing to do with NATO, they have nothing to do with political ideas of the right or the left. These are not northern or southern countries. “It is about respect for international law and human rights that is a fundamental principle for our coexistence, and this is applicable in Ukraine, Gaza and any other conflict in the world.”
Likewise, the President reiterated the importance of protecting the most vulnerable populations, especially girls and boys. “Children must be protected everywhere. We cannot allow any country to kidnap or kidnap children, as Russia is currently doing with Ukrainian children. Civilians must not be harmed, we need urgent measures to protect their rights, because they cannot wait.”
Finally, the Head of State called to continue advancing mechanisms to end this war. “We hope that Russia and Ukraine will dialogue soon, respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine, international law and the firm commitment to human rights as a fundamental norm. From Chile, we will continue to support this process to achieve peace and avoid new conflicts,” he concluded.
