Today, silence is consent to murder
Open letter
European Flexible Packaging Association (FPE)
Dusseldorf, Germany
Dear colleagues!
Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, is already a proven international legal fact. It is time to collect and legally assess the facts of crime against humanity of the Ukrainian people. The world is shocked by the atrocities of Russian aggressors in Kyiv region and other regions of Ukraine. A large number of states and international organizations have condemned Russia's war crimes in Ukraine and called for an immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
1. We believe that against the background of indisputable documented facts of crimes against humanity, the business community cannot and should not be left out. After all, it is with the tacit consent of those who simply stand aside and wait for crimes against humanity to be committed that these crimes are becoming more and more widespread. In such a situation, the passive expectation of stabilization is unequivocally support for crimes and killings of civilians.
That is why we, Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, The Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Ukrainian Association of Flexible Packaging:
• We urge you, as our European colleagues in the common field, to openly express your position on Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, namely, to use clear rhetoric, calling the war a war, not a "conflict in Ukraine" or a "crisis", and to express directly public condemnation of Russia's military aggression in Ukraine
• We believe that a clear position is needed in relation to companies in the industry that do business in Russia and that continue to operate in the Russian market. Thus, these companies indirectly finance the killing of civilians through the payment of taxes.
2. We consider it unacceptable to celebrate industry awards or in any other way to celebrate the achievements of sustainable development of flexible packaging of Russian companies or European companies operating in the Russian market. Because the activities of war sponsors violate almost all the principles of sustainable development and hinder the achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals. Namely:
• peace, justice, effective institutions to build a peaceful and open society. Russia today has completely destroyed the path to this goal! The brutality of crimes against humanity and peace is almost unprecedented. You can only get acquainted with the facts on the example of "Bucha massacre";
• overcoming poverty, including through the creation of sustainable jobs. How can this goal be achieved when Russia's aggression destroys Ukraine's civil and industrial infrastructure?;
• elimination of hunger. Achieving this goal is under threat, as the war in Ukraine will lead to a food crisis not only in underdeveloped countries but also in Europe;
• good health and well-being. This goal cannot be discussed at all when Ukrainians lose their lives!;
• quality education. The war disrupted the educational process almost completely. Ukraine is burying its children! And it is still unknown how many child deaths there will be;
• gender equality. Today, Ukrainian men and women are equal in one thing - they are equally brutally tortured, they are equally "equally" killed!;
• clean water and sanitation. In the occupied cities, the population has not only clean water, but no water at all. The issue of sanitation is not commented at all;
• cheap and clean energy. Russian military fired on Ukrainian nuclear power plants! This is a direct threat of radiation pollution throughout Europe;
• decent work and economic growth. Millions of refugees, as well as the population of Ukraine, face the impossibility not only to work in their specialty, but also in general with the opportunity to get a job;
• industrialization, innovation, infrastructure. All this has suffered and continues to suffer a devastating destruction;
• conservation of land and sea ecosystems. The consequences of war for ecosystems are terrible! The stability of their existence is undermined. Moreover, Russia uses illicit weapons, such as phosphorus bombs, threatens nuclear safety, threatens the use of chemical weapons;
• sustainable cities and towns, responsible consumption and production, the fight against climate change - military aggression "corrected" these goals as well.
3. Flexible Packaging Europe has 85 members, of which 11 companies have business in Russia. Some of these companies took a strong stand in the first days of the war in Ukraine and left the Russian market. We know these companies and are grateful to them. And other companies continue to operate, financing the killings of Ukrainians. And we know these companies as well. Therefore, we request the exclusion of such companies from Flexible Packaging Europe based on the organization's charter the members are to be followed by sustainable development, and such companies have not officially announced their position on the war in Ukraine. Moreover, in the list of Flexible Packaging Europe there are companies whose ultimate beneficiaries are Russian oligarchs, against whom EU and US countries have imposed personal sanctions in connection with the war in Ukraine. Dear colleagues, you, as specialists and industry experts, understand that flexible packaging due to a number of its advantages will be an integral part of product flows. Ukraine is waiting for years of reconstruction. Markets are undergoing redistribution changes. And for the future of each company today, it is important to determine its clear position on Russia's aggression. Because after the victory of Ukraine, reputational risks will become very important.
Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, The Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Ukrainian Association of Flexible Packaging calls Flexible Packaging Europe and each Flexible Packaging Europe member to decisive, uncompromising and principled action for our common future, for the achievement of another UN goal - the Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Martin Niemöller:
Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.
Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.
Als sie die Juden holten, habe ich nicht protestiert; ich war ja kein Jude.
Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.
Kyiv, Ukraine
President of “Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs”
Anatoliy Kinakh
General Director of “The Federation of Employers of Ukraine”
Ruslan Ilyichov
Chairman of the Public Union "Ukrainian Association of Flexible Packaging"
Irina Mirochnik
