According to the U.N. Secretary-General, the need to protect civilians, which is upheld by international humanitarian law, is not being upheld by the international community.
Antonio Guterres said during a U.N. Security Council meeting that “peace is the best form of defense.” “We must step up our efforts to stop hostilities, safeguard civilians, maintain peace, and stop war on the political level.”
According to Guterres, nations are required to abide by international humanitarian law in areas of armed conflict.
The distinction is between life and death. between control and chaos. Between letting our humanity remain and losing ourselves in terror,” he remarked. Law, however, is weakened when it is ignored.
Guterres brought up the most recent violence, five weeks of fighting between competing generals in Sudan, which has already claimed hundreds of lives, uprooted more than a million people, and forced 250,000 to escape to nearby nations. Food, water, and fuel are all in low supply, and the health system of the nation is in danger of failing.
Despite how awful this image is, he noted that 100 million people worldwide were forcefully relocated last year as a result of conflict, violence, human rights violations, or persecution.
More than 117 million people experienced severe hunger in 2022, mostly as a result of conflict and instability, according to Guterres, who noted that one of the repercussions of war is increased food insecurity.
The head of the U.N. said, “This is an outrage.” Critical infrastructure damage impairs food production, prevents distribution, and denies people access to clean water.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has enabled the shipment of more over 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain through Black Sea channels since early August and stabilized global food prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was recently extended for another 60 days, and he applauded this development.
As for the execution of a similar agreement for Russia’s shipment of food and fertilizer, Guterres expressed his optimism that any lingering concerns would be addressed.
The discussion was presided over by Swiss President Alain Berset and served as the highlight of his country’s month-long leadership of the 15-nation Security Council. More than 80 nations had speakers booked.
“Respect for international humanitarian law is a priority for all of us here around this table,” Berset said to the council members. Of course, we feel especially obligated by this humanitarian responsibility as the repository of the Geneva Conventions and the headquarters of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross).
The Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols, the cornerstone of international humanitarian law, are kept in Switzerland. They lay up the groundwork for armed combat and endeavor to safeguard innocent bystanders, medical professionals, humanitarian workers, the injured, and prisoners of war.
The ICRC, whose primary goal is to defend people, is likewise based in Switzerland.
According to ICRC statistics, the number of non-international armed conflicts has increased by more than three times in the last 20 years, from less than 30 to over 90, according to ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric. Many of them are prolonged wars that cause unending misery, which is made worse by environmental shocks, food instability, and economic difficulties.
She said that assaults, threats, and political impasses against people made achieving peace more difficult.
Civilians are safeguarded by legal compliance. It stops abuses and infractions, she added. “It lowers the cost of war while preserving a pathway to cease-fire agreements, and ultimately to lasting peace, functional economies, and a healthy natural environment.”
