EU Statement – UN Security Council: Open debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

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Madam President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Monaco, and San Marino, align themselves with this statement.

The EU is deeply concerned by the pervasiveness of armed conflicts across the globe, which cause immense suffering to millions of civilians. The latest example is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has brought dramatic consequences for the civilian population, including civilian death, the destruction of vital infrastructure, and  massive displacement.

The EU is also deeply concerned by the impact of widespread and indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas on civilians and civilian infrastructure. In this regard, the EU supports the ongoing process to develop a political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas. The EU recalls that full compliance with International Humanitarian Law remains essential for the protection of civilians. We call on all parties to armed conflict to respect their obligations under IHL. The EU remains committed to keeping the promotion of, and adherence to, IHL at the heart of its external action, as reaffirmed at the first European Humanitarian Forum held in March this year.

The EU will use all the tools at its disposal to strengthen IHL and promote accountability for IHL violations. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against  Ukraine, the EU has been very active in supporting initiatives aimed at ensuring that perpetrators of serious human rights violations and violations of IHL, some of which may amount to war crimes, will be held accountable, including the investigations started by the International Criminal Court, the Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry, national investigations by the Ukrainian authorities, and investigations by EU Member States.

The EU notes with deep concern that the number of attacks against health facilities and medical personnel continues to increase, including in Ukraine, where the World Health Organization documented over 200 attacks as of May 2022. Protecting healthcare – including for mental health – in armed conflict remains a priority for the EU. The EU is committed to supporting the collection and analysis of data on attacks against medical personnel and health facilities. Building on last year’s discussion series on the protection of humanitarian workers and medical personnel in armed conflict, and the European Humanitarian Forum, the EU is also committed to supporting concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers.

Over the years, the EU has also provided direct support to health facilities and medical personnel based in conflict-affected settings, ensuring continuity of care and developing training resources for the protection of medical personnel in high-risk contexts. Mental health and psychosocial support is an integral part of the EU humanitarian response to crises, especially for civilians affected by the devastating consequences of conflict. To step up our efforts in this domain, the EU is supporting a pilot programme of the Minimum Service Package on MHPSS and also promoting awareness-raising among donors on gaps and needs in the Middle East.

The EU and Member States note with concern the figures on conflict-driven hunger, as presented in the report of the Secretary-General. When the impact of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on global food security is accounted for, the picture will likely be even more dire. We welcome the initiative of the UN Secretary-General to create a Global Crisis Response Group, which the EU supports. We call for a strong coordination of the international efforts to address this crisis, such as the Global Alliance for Food Security and the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission. We also welcome the increased allocations for humanitarian food assistance announced by the main global donors, including the EU.

However, these efforts are still insufficient to cover the needs. We call on increased contributions from international partners. This year, once again, conflict remains the main driver of hunger. More efforts are needed to alleviate hunger in armed conflict, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2417. The EU and its Member States are actively engaged in advocacy efforts in this respect, and we call on Security Council members to join forces in this endeavour.

The EU and its Member States are also committed to mitigating climate change, as well as adapting and preparing for its adverse impacts, including on international peace and security. The EU condemns the destruction of the environment as a means of warfare, especially where the civilian population is directly dependent on its natural resources for water, food, and livelihoods. The EU will continue to advocate for the protection of the natural environment in armed conflict.

The EU and its Member States are very concerned about the ever-increasing number of forcibly displaced people in the world, including millions of civilians fleeing ongoing armed conflicts. The EU shares the Secretary-General’s concern about the dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced persons and the severe challenges they face. The EU reiterates its support to the Secretary-General in his efforts to develop a draft Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, and expects this document to help find ambitious solutions and generate the political will for a more comprehensive response to this global challenge.

Children remain disproportionally affected by armed conflict, including through an increasing rate of attacks on education facilities and a high level of sexual violence. Combined with the disastrous impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on education, children in armed conflict, in particular girls, face grave violations of their human rights, most of which go unpunished. The EU strongly supports the CAAC mandate and the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism, as shown both in our first-ever European Strategy on the Rights of the Child, and in our policies and funding. The EU also supports the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2601 to protect schools from attack and mitigate and avoid the military use of schools and welcomes the efforts of UN Member States that have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration,.

The EU remains committed to the protection of women and girls, and to supporting the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence,  as well as impacts on sexual and reproductive health. In addition, as highlighted by the SG report, persons with disabilities face additional risks and vulnerabilities in situations of armed conflict. Their needs should be duly taken into account and barriers to access information, evacuation, and emergency assistance should be lifted.

Finally, the EU concurs with the report of the Secretary-General that securing rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access is of the utmost importance. In Ukraine, the lack of humanitarian access for evacuations and to deliver supplies has dire consequences for civilians. The EU recognizes that engagement with Non-State Armed Groups by principled humanitarian actors is key in order to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach all civilians in need. The EU is also committed to avoid any potential negative impact of sanctions and counter-terrorism measures on principled humanitarian action.

People impacted by armed conflict deserve our concrete actions to protect their lives and dignity.

Thank you.

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