A/HRC/44/21 VII. Conclusions and recommendations 50. In line with General Assembly resolution 74/168, I have taken all steps necessary to ensure the full and effective coordination of all United Nations bodies with regard to the implementation of that resolution. This has included the gathering and reporting of relevant information by OHCHR. 51. I actively continued to seek ways and means to ensure safe and unfettered access to Crimea by established regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms, in particular the human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, to enable them to carry out their mandate. This included consultations with OHCHR and engagement with relevant regional organizations and Member States, including the Russian Federation, as well as Ukraine. 52. In addition, in line with General Assembly resolution 74/168, I continued to seek opportunities to engage my good offices and pursue my discussions relating to Crimea, involving all relevant stakeholders and including the concerns addressed in the resolution. Specifically, the Secretariat and relevant departments, offices and agencies of the United Nations continued to actively engage the Russian Federation, as well as Ukraine, on the issue of access to Crimea and concerning the human rights situation in Crimea. Furthermore, during its briefings to the Security Council on developments in Ukraine, the Secretariat continued to refer to developments in and around Crimea, as appropriate, consistently reaffirming the commitment of the United Nations to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. 53. Regrettably, despite those efforts, and despite the willingness of the Russian Federation and Ukraine to discuss the issue with the United Nations, it was still not possible to find a mutually acceptable formula to ensure access by OHCHR to Crimea during the reporting period. Such access is essential to ensure first-hand monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Crimea. I urge the Russian Federation, as well as Ukraine, to make all efforts to ensure unfettered access by OHCHR and other relevant United Nations entities to Crimea to enable the effective implementation of the relevant General Assembly resolutions. I will therefore continue to seek opportunities and identify practical avenues to ensure access to Crimea by OHCHR and other relevant United Nations entities. 54. In line with General Assembly resolution 74/168, I urge the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as the Government of Ukraine, to implement the detailed options and specific recommendations formulated by OHCHR and listed in its previous reports. This includes facilitating the granting of unimpeded access to Crimea for international and regional human rights monitoring mechanisms, pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 71/205, 72/190, 73/263 and 74/168. 55. I urge the Government of the Russian Federation to uphold its obligations under international human rights law in Crimea and to respect obligations that apply to it pursuant to international humanitarian law. I also urge the Government of the Russian Federation to ensure the proper and unimpeded access of international human rights monitoring missions and human rights non-governmental organizations to Crimea, pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 71/205, 72/190, 73/263 and 74/168, and to ensure unimpeded freedom of movement between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine. It is equally essential to comply fully with the absolute prohibition of torture and to ensure prompt, independent, impartial, thorough and effective investigation of all allegations of ill-treatment, torture and enforced disappearances in Crimea, and to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and to hold opinions, the right to peaceful assembly and freedoms of association, thought, conscience and religion can be exercised by all individuals and groups in Crimea, without discrimination on any grounds. The authorities of the Russian Federation are called upon to ensure that persons deprived of their liberty benefit from all legal guarantees and to lift restrictions imposed on the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions, including the ban on the Mejlis. In addition, the authorities of the Russian Federation need to ensure the availability of education in the Ukrainian language, which remains a concern. Other recommended measures include ending the 13

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