Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group and the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions calling for ceasefire

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Country/entity: Ukraine
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group and the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions calling for ceasefire
Date: 2 Mar 2018
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Ukrainian Revolution and War in Donbass (2014 - )
In November 2013, protestors in Ukraine took to Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev to protest to protest against the government of Viktor Yanukovych in favour of European integration. Protests eventually led to the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution or the 'Revolution of Dignity', where Yanukovych was ousted. Pro-Russian protests were also held across several regions of the Ukraine, and following the removal of Yanukovych, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in February 2014. International outcry led to Russia's suspension from the G8 and other international sanctions including condemnation from the United Nations. Spurred on by Russia's annexation of the Crimea and the subsequent referendum, pro-Russian militants began agitating for a similar outcome in March. However, by April, militants launched a separatist insurgency in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts spurring a Ukrainian counter-attack and the resulting War in Donbass. Since then, Russian troops have remained active in the warzone, although their presence is denied by the Russian government. In September 2014 “Minsk Protocol” was signed under the auspices of OSCE and “Minsk II” in February 2015, both failing to halt fighting completely in the region. Recently, in October 2019 Ukraine, Russia, the DPR and LPR, and the OSCE signed an agreement based on “the Steinmeier formula” originally proposed in 2016 by Germany’s then foreign minister – simplified version of the Minsk agreements to help parties agree on the sequence of events outlined in the agreements i.e. free fair elections in the east and grant of special status to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This deal was Russia’s key pre-condition for a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany – the Normandy format. At the end of the month Ukrainian troops and Russian backed separatists have begun withdrawing from key front-line areas in eastern Ukraine under OSCE supervision.
Stage: Renewal
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Ukraine peace process
Parties: Ukraine
Russia
Representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk
Third parties: OSCE
Description: The parties reaffirm commitment to ceasefire and Minsk agreements

Agreement document: UA_180302_Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1:
The Trilateral Contact Group with the participation of the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, acknowledging the positive impact of their recommitment to the ceasefire on 20 December 2017, stressing the importance of ensuring peace and calm for the population caught in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and guided by earlier agreements and obligations of the sides:

- Re-affirm their full commitment to a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire, starting from 5 March 2018 at 00:01 hours (Kyiv time);
Security sector→Ceasefire→General commitments
Page 1:
- Underline at the same time, the importance of the issuance of, and compliance with, the respective ceasefire orders; the effective use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations; no firing, including return fire; avoiding forward movements and reconnaissance missions; strictly forbidding, in particular, firing to and from populated areas, the presence and use of heavy weapons in and close to populated areas and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and public premises;
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: Not signed, but implied: OSCE
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/374179

Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group and the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions calling for ceasefire

MINSK, 2 March 2018 – The Trilateral Contact Group and the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions today issued the following statement calling for a ceasefire:

The Trilateral Contact Group with the participation of the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, acknowledging the positive impact of their recommitment to the ceasefire on 20 December 2017, stressing the importance of ensuring peace and calm for the population caught in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and guided by earlier agreements and obligations of the sides:

- Re-affirm their full commitment to a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire, starting from 5 March 2018 at 00:01 hours (Kyiv time);

- Underline at the same time, the importance of the issuance of, and compliance with, the respective ceasefire orders;

the effective use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations;

no firing, including return fire;

avoiding forward movements and reconnaissance missions;

strictly forbidding, in particular, firing to and from populated areas, the presence and use of heavy weapons in and close to populated areas and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and public premises;

- Re-assert their joint and firm commitment to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.