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STORY: UN / PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS
TRT: 02:58
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN Headquarters
26 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Over the years, many of us working for the UN and for the humanitarian sector have lost colleagues and friends, people who devoted their lives to support their fellow human beings in their time of need. But the past two years in particular have been devastating. In 2023, we lost 280 aid workers across 20 countries, according to the Aid Worker Security database.”
4. Med shot, Council President James Kariuki
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Much of the unprecedented surge in aid worker casualties is due to the situation in Gaza. Since 7th October, more than 330 humanitarian workers have lost their lives. Most of them were UNWRA staff. Some were with their families in their homes. Others were at work in UNWRA offices and shelters. These numbers signal a disturbing lack of regard for the lives of civilians and humanitarian and UN workers. There is no situation in recent history that compares.”
6. Wide shot, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud addressing Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Department of
Safety and Security (DSS):
“We need collective action to protect those who dedicate their lives to people in need. Their security is not just a moral obligation. It is essential to the success of the mandates entrusted to us, including by this Council.”
8. Wide shot, Council
9. Wide shot, officials behind empty chairs reading WAR HAS LIMITS
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Switzerland:
“Chairs symbolise the seat of duty. The gesture emphasises the Security Council's unique role as custodian of international peace and security, responsible for upholding and promoting international humanitarian law and responsible to protect vulnerable groups.”
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Switzerland:
“These empty chairs symbolise the courageous presence of humanitarian workers, but not here with us, rather at the frontline, often risking their own safety to provide aid and protection. International Humanitarian Law is crystal clear. We must protect and respect UN and humanitarian personnel. Switzerland’s engagement on this issue led to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2730, which reiterates these obligations and goes beyond.”
12. Pan right, chairs
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“On behalf of OCHA, I call on Member States and the international community to act with urgency and ensure respect for international law and the protection of humanitarians; condemn attacks directed against humanitarians in the strongest terms; ensure accountability for crimes against aid workers, sending a clear message that impunity will not stand.”
14. Pan right, ambassadors
A top humanitarian official today (26 Nov) told the Security Council that “much of the unprecedented surge in aid worker casualties is due to the situation in Gaza,” to which, she said, “there's no situation in recent history that compares.”
Lisa Doughten, who is the Director of the Financing and Partnerships Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said, “since 7th October, more than 330 humanitarian workers have lost their lives. Most of them were UNWRA staff. Some were with their families in their homes. Others were at work in UNWRA offices and shelters.”
Doughten said, “these numbers signal a disturbing lack of regard for the lives of civilians and humanitarian and UN workers.”
The humanitarian official said, “over the years, many of us working for the UN and for the humanitarian sector have lost colleagues and friends, people who devoted their lives to support their fellow human beings in their time of need. But the past two years in particular have been devastating.”
Also briefing the Council under the protection of civilians in armed conflict agenda, the head of our Department of Safety and Security (DSS) Gilles Michaud, told Council members that we need collective action to protect those who dedicate their lives to people in need, “not just a moral obligation. It is essential to the success of the mandates entrusted to us, including by the Security Council.”
Michaud called on Council Members to show solidarity and courage to ensure accountability for those who harm UN personnel and humanitarian workers.
Before the meeting, Swiss Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl and humanitarian officials stood behind a set of chairs used during the signing of the Geneva Convention 75 years ago, with letters on each chair reading WAR HAS LIMITS.
Baeriswyl said, “chairs symbolise the seat of duty. The gesture emphasises the Security Council's unique role as custodian of international peace and security, responsible for upholding and promoting international humanitarian law and responsible to protect vulnerable groups.”
She said, “these empty chairs symbolise the courageous presence of humanitarian workers, but not here with us, rather at the frontline, often risking their own safety to provide aid and protection.”
The Swiss Ambassador said, “International Humanitarian Law is crystal clear. We must protect and respect UN and humanitarian personnel. Switzerland’s engagement on this issue led to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2730, which reiterates these obligations and goes beyond.”
Baeriswyl then read a statement on behalf of 116 member states in support of humanitarian workers.
