Economic and Social Council:

Humanitarian Affairs Segment

General Debate

21 June

Statement by the European Union (EU)

Delivered by

Her Excellency Ms. Anna Jardfelt,

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the

United Nations Office at Geneva

Check against delivery

Mister President,

I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, the potential candidate country Georgia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

I want to start by commending the UN and its partners for their commitment to delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance, despite increasingly precarious conditions. Humanitarian staff risk their lives every day to help those most in need, and the EU offers them our gratitude.

We are deeply concerned about our humanitarian partners having to go to increasing lengths in order to assess needs and provide relief. It is vital that humanitarian actors are able to deliver where aid is needed.  Increasing attacks against aid workers and the trend of information manipulation, including disinformation, undermining trust in humanitarian organizations, puts humanitarian personnel at serious risk. In addition to our appreciation for their work,, we will continue to strive to protect their safety, provide necessary funding, and seek creative solutions to global crises.

Mr. President,

I will highlight three points in my statement today: (1) first, the importance of upholding international humanitarian law; (2) second, the ways to address the growing humanitarian funding gap; and (3) third, the need to respond to the unprecedented global food security crisis.

First, the EU remains committed to upholding and promoting international humanitarian law. As we have seen armed conflicts increase, civilian protection is needed more than ever. When parties to armed conflicts violate international humanitarian law, humanitarian needs often increase. Full compliance with IHL remains critical for the protection of civilians affected by armed conflicts, as well as for the protection of civilian infrastructure.

In his 2023 report on humanitarian assistance, the Secretary-General reminds us of the need to protect  objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. When such objects are harmed, food production and distribution, water delivery, sanitation, energy provision, and health care can all be disrupted. The EU remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences resulting from armed conflicts involving the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, which destroy civilian objects. In this regard, the EU welcomes the adoption of the Political Declaration on strengthening the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

The EU calls on all parties to armed conflict to respect their obligations under IHL, and we further emphasise the need for accountability for violations of IHL.

Second, as humanitarian needs rise to an all-time high, there is an urgent need to address the growing humanitarian funding gap. The gap can be narrowed by reducing humanitarian needs, broadening the donor base, and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the humanitarian system.

The European Union is doing our part. We have increased our humanitarian food assistance by 64 percent since 2020. But we need others to step up, too. A small group of donors are currently contributing 80 percent of humanitarian funding. We must achieve a more balanced humanitarian funding structure, one that also draws on the resources of emerging donors, as well as the private sector and philanthropic organisations.

To make aid more efficient and effective, funding should be flexible, following the commitments set in the Grand Bargain. The EU reaffirms the important role played by local and national actors across all regions, including participation and leadership of women-led organisations, in facilitating efficient humanitarian action.  Development and climate funding should also flow to fragile contexts, as humanitarian aid simply cannot meet the needs we are witnessing today.

Ultimately, the unprecedented and growing needs must be reduced. We need new solutions, and we need more complementarity between humanitarian, development and peace actors to protect essential resources, address root causes of need, and, hopefully, prevent the onset of future humanitarian crises.

Third, the global food security crisis must not escape our attention. The European Union stresses that armed conflict remains the primary driver of humanitarian needs, particularly food insecurity, as was recognized in UN Security Council Resolution 2417. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, for example, has worsened global food insecurity and malnutrition. The effects of devastating floods and droughts on food insecurity are also undeniable. As climate change further erodes the resilience of communities and destroys peoples’ livelihood opportunities, we must work together to find sustainable solutions to ensure that people have enough to eat.

Let me conclude by reiterating the EU’s dedication to principled humanitarian action. Our support for the global humanitarian system, coordinated by the UN, also demonstrates our strategic commitment to effective multilateralism. The UN can continue relying on our support. The EU and its Member States remain ready to take on our share of responsibility, and we call on the rest of the international community to continue working toward this common goal as well.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.