The UN security council has unanimously backed a motion drafted and negotiated by Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, calling for an independent international investigation into the attack on flight MH17.
The resolution, backed by the 15 country Security Council, also demands that the armed groups controlling the site commit to a ceasefire and give investigators safe, unfettered access to the crash site.
Bishop, Australia’s first female foreign minister, has since received international praise for taking the lead on the motion, with H.E Francs Timmermans, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands praising the “personal commitment” of Bishop for making it possible and noting during a press conference that, “Without her, the resolution would not be carried today and adopted by the Security Council.”
After tense negotiations, Russia, which as one of the permanent members of the Security Council holds veto power, finally backed the resolution after changes were made to the text, including changing the characterisation of the incident as “the downing” of the Malaysia Airlines flight, rather than “the shooting down”, according to ABC news.
The UN resolution demands that “safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the crash site be provided so the investigating authorities can carry out their work”.
Bishop addressed the council on Monday, citing “grotesque violations” of the crash site, where gunmen have been in control of the scene.
“It’s despicable that this access is not being provided” to investigators, Bishop said. “It is an affront to the victims and their families.”
Bishop also told the Council that the attack was an “outrage”, and said the vote was “an unambiguous response from the international community to an utterly deplorable act”.
“Our nation mourns the death of all the victims. I cannot begin to fathom the pain and anguish their families feel,” Bishop said.
“This is why Australia has brought this resolution to the Security Council. The Security Council has responded,” she said.
“The victims must be treated with dignity.”