GENEVA / BAN ICRC

The UN Secretary-General and the President of ICRC jointly called for the protection of civilians in conflict zones, during a news conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:15
• Production Date: 2 November 2015
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: BAN KI-MOON
• Subject Topical: CIVILIAN PROTECTION
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1493194
• Parent Id: 1493194
• Alternate Title: unifeed151102a

Description

STORY: GENEVA / BAN ICRC
TRT: 02:14
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 31 OCTOBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / RECENT

Shotlist

RECENT, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Aerial shot, exterior Palais des Nations

31 OCTOBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Med shot, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon exiting car and entering Palais des Nations
3. Med shot, Ban and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer shaking hands and posing for photographs
4. Med shot, Ban and Maurer holding talks
5. Wide shot, Ban and Maurer addressing reporters
6. Close-up, Ban addressing reporters as seen through camera’s LCD screen
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“Today, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross are calling for an end to impunity, an end to the callous disregard for human life, and a recommitment to international humanitarian law.”
8. Close-up, ICRC and UN flags
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“We urge an end to the use of heavy explosive weapons in densely populated urban areas, which overwhelmingly kill civilians. We call for respect for humanitarian access, so that people can reach the aid they need, and so that humanitarians can deliver that aid.”
10. Pan right-to-left, Ban and Mauer during news conference / reporters
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross:
“Now more than ever, the respective foundations of our two organisations, international humanitarian law, the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and the UN Charter need strong re-affirmation by the international community.”
12. Wide shot, Ban and Maurer during news conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross:
“We ask that states and non-state armed groups protect civilians in armed conflict by respecting the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, and by condemning the use of illegal weapons and weapons’ illegal use, notably in densely populated areas in Syria. Starvation, rape and other forms of sexual violence, summary executions as well as inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees must stop.”
14. Various shots, closing of news conference

Storyline

Warning of rising number of attacks on civilians across the world, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged at the weekend the international community to end the “callous disregard for human life” and stressed on stronger commitment from Member States to bring perpetrators of such attacks to account.

“Today, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross are calling for an end to impunity, an end to the callous disregard for human life, and a recommitment to international humanitarian law,” Ban Ki-moon told reporters at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, during a joint news conference with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer.

The UN chief also urged for an ending to the use of heavy explosive weapons in densely populated urban areas, causing deaths of civilians, and called for allowing humanitarian access in conflict-prone regions to help people who need aid.
“We urge an end to the use of heavy explosive weapons in densely populated urban areas, which overwhelmingly kill civilians. We call for respect for humanitarian access, so that people can reach the aid they need, and so that humanitarians can deliver that aid,” Ban said.

The UN and ICRC are taking joint steps to address the protection of civilians in conflicts, an issue which will be one of the main themes at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul next May.

Maurer said that “now more than ever, the respective foundations of our two organisations, international humanitarian law, the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and the UN Charter need strong re-affirmation by the international community.”

The ICRC President pointed at the importance for states and non-states armed groups to protect civilians in armed conflict “by respecting the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, and by condemning the use of illegal weapons and weapons’ illegal use, notably in densely populated areas in Syria. Starvation, rape and other forms of sexual violence, summary executions as well as inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees must stop.”