Check against delivery

Excellencies, Colleagues, the European Union and its member states welcome today’s Arria Formula meeting convened by Slovenia together with Algeria, Panama and Sierra Leone on protecting water in armed conflict to protect civilian lives. 

Civilian objects are protected under IHL. Furthermore, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, including water infrastructure, receive special protections. The civilian character of the natural environment is also well established.

Universal access to safe drinking water, without any discrimination, is an internationally recognized human right.  Yet today, we are all witness to the continued destructive impact of armed conflicts on water and sanitation services, personnel, infrastructure and resources. Whether through direct attacks, incidental damage, contamination or denial of access, it is civilians who often pay the highest price. Suffering and death, loss of livelihoods, displacement, health crises, disease, and lowered resilience to shocks are just some of the risks faced. This becomes much more urgent still considering the detrimental impact the climate crisis is having on water availability in many places around the world, heightening the risks of fragility and conflict. Furthermore, the changing nature of warfare, including cyberattacks, have amplified protection concerns for water infrastructure.

Excellencies, Colleagues, we have three points for the Council’s consideration and for action by member states.

First, we have the tools and the framework of international humanitarian law to prevent these violations. The Security Council and member states must demand and ensure compliance with these obligations. The Global Initiative on IHL launched by the ICRC and a group of states [Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Africa] is an important process to galvanize political commitment to IHL compliance, and includes a workstream on the protection of civilian infrastructure. 

Second, we must continue to ensure timely and dignified access to sufficient and safe water services for people caught in humanitarian crises. There is also a broader need to consider the overall impact of conflict on water systems, and focus on their resilience and sustainability beyond the short term. These interventions should be closely linked with mediation efforts and support shared governance of key natural resources to ensure a triple nexus approach. The impact of conflict on the natural environment must also be considered. 

Third, rapid, effective and sustainable responses also depend on good coordination, which is essential for assessing and prioritising needs. The EU is working closely with the Global WASH Cluster and UNICEF to coordinate humanitarian operations in WASH assistance, while also acknowledging the nexus between armed conflict and the natural environment. The recently launched Humanitarian Reset also makes important commitments towards localization, and prioritizing agency advantages in responses. 

Excellencies, Colleagues, we must translate our commitments into action. The European Union will continue to play its part to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law to prevent civilian suffering in armed conflicts globally. Thank you.