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7951st Security Council Meeting: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict - Part 1
Endless Talks on Ending Violence Pointless as Arms Sales to Criminals, Dictators, Terrorists Continue at Same Time, Says Holy See...
Despite 15 years of steadily growing international attention to the question of protecting civilians in conflict situations, life in war zones around the world remained grim, with suffering “pushed to the limits” as cities turned into “death traps”, the Security Council heard today as it held an open debate on attacks against medical personnel and facilities.
“No one is winning today’s wars, everybody is losing,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres declared, drawing particular attention to continuing attacks against hospitals and wide-spread sexual violence. Such brutality had driven more than 65 million people around the globe to flee their homes, he said. Relentless attacks on cities in Syria showed no signs of abating, while in South Sudan, attacks continued to target civilians and aid workers. In Yemen, meanwhile, civilians were trapped and targeted by all sides.
Expressing support for Council resolution 2286 (2016) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict — co-sponsored by more than 80 States during its adoption a year ago — he nevertheless noted that that little had changed on the ground. “What is needed now is action” to turn that text into reality, he emphasized, recommending several measures for improving the overall protection of civilians. They included greater respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and ensuring accountability for violations, including at the International Criminal Court.
Christine Beerli, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), drew particular attention to the return of armed conflict to towns and cities, pointing out that some 50 million people in urban areas now bore the brunt of conflict. “At the ICRC, we see daily the realities of what happens when civilians are not protected,” she said, describing cases of children as young as three years old being killed or treated for the loss of limbs. She urged all belligerent parties to avoid using wide-impact explosive weapons in populated places, and called upon Member States engaged in alliances and coalitions to focus greater attention on the behaviour and attitudes of those bearing arms.
Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Deputy Director for Advocacy at Human Rights Watch, cited his organization’s review, published yesterday, of 25 attacks on health facilities in 10 countries between 2013 and 2016, saying it found that little had been done to investigate those attacks or to hold those responsible to account. Noting that the Secretary-General was mandated to name perpetrators of attacks on schools and hospitals in a list annexed to his report, he urged the Secretary-General to “immunize” the annexes against political redactions by Member States.
As delegates took the floor, many voiced support for resolution 2286 (2016) and for the Secretary-General’s subsequent recommendations for its implementation. Roundly condemning “horrific”, “brutal” and “inhumane” attacks targeting civilians and the medical personnel working to save their lives.
“This cannot become the new reality of war,” the United Kingdom’s representative stressed, citing Aleppo and Mosul as examples of the urbanization of conflict. Encouraging practical steps to mitigate the impact of conflict on the ground, he urged States to share best practices and collect better, more systematic data. “We have a duty to shine a light on those who fail to comply with international law,” he added.
Striking a similar tone, Sweden’s representative noted that the Council was faced almost every day with testimonies about the most brutal and premeditated targeting of civilians as a tactic of war. From the atrocities in Syria to the inaccessible villages of northern Nigeria’s Borno State, from South Sudan — ravaged by man-made famine — to the crisis in Yemen and attacks on medical facilities in Kunduz, there was a “global protection crisis”, he said. States must embark down a “path of protection” that would reinforce respect for international humanitarian law while working to prevent and end conflict, she emphasized.
Delegations differed on a number of issues, however, including when and how to incorporate the civilian-protection principle into the mandate of United Nations peacekeeping operations. China’s representative emphasized the primary responsibility of Governments for protecting civilians, warning that incorporating the civilian-protection principle into peacekeeping mandates could not be viewed as replacing national obligations. He also underlined the importance of ensuring that humanitarian actors accorded full respect to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of hosts States, cautioning further that they must not themselves become involved in conflict.
In the context of combating impunity for perpetrators of attacks against civilians, medical personnel and other non-combatants, a number of speakers welcomed the proposed “International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011”. Hungary’s representative said her country’s Government had contributed €50,000 to the proposed mechanism. Qatar’s representative said her delegation was advocating for the adoption of a General Assembly resolution that would formally establish it.
The Russian Federation’s representative, calling for further international efforts in response to attacks on ICRC personnel and facilities by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), drew attention to double standards and “politicization of humanitarian affairs”, pointing out the lack of international reaction to the 2016 air strike on a Russian field hospital in Syria’s Idlib Governorate.
Referring to “the relentless campaign of destruction” in Syria, the representative of the United States said “Assad’s forces do not even spare maternity wards”. Last year’s attacks on medical facilities in Aleppo were a stain on the Council and on members who refused to stop it, she emphasized, calling upon the United Nations to be more explicit in naming perpetrators and considering sanctions or other mechanisms for ensuring accountability.
The Observer for the Holy See underlined the pointlessness of copious discussions on ending violence and conflict when untold quantities of arms were being produced, sold or gifted to dictatorial regimes, terrorist groups and organized crime syndicates at the same time.
Also speaking were representatives of Uruguay, Ukraine, Japan, Bolivia, France, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Egypt, Italy, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Liechtenstein, Pakistan, Austria, Peru, Iran, Indonesia, Slovenia (for the Human Security Network), Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Israel, Switzerland (for the Group of Friends of Protection of Civilians), Romania, Jordan, Poland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Syria, Paraguay, Belarus, South Africa, Nigeria, Turkey, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Australia, Armenia, Kuwait, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Argentina, Côte d’Ivoire, Canada, Ireland, Norway (for the Nordic countries), Morocco, Portugal and Azerbaijan, as well as the European Union delegation.
The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 5:24 p.m.