“Now is the time for Member States to show courage in speaking out against attacks and impunity, to take action. Let our bravery reflect that of our colleagues doing humanitarian work in the most dangerous places. It is what they expect of us. Let us lead the way,” is what Gilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, appealed for during a side event held at the margins Protection of Civilians (PoC) Week 2025 United Nations Headquarters on 23 May.
The event, “Humanitarians under Attack: Contemporary Challenges Faced by National and Locally Recruited Personnel,” marked the first anniversary of Security Council resolution 2730 (2024). Co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Australia and Switzerland, panelists outlined current security trends affecting United Nations and humanitarian personnel, which disproportionately affect locally recruited personnel, as well as measures at Member States and other partners’ disposal to prevent and address attacks.
Reflecting on 2024—the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel— Mr. Michaud noted that 2025 is already showing worrying signs. He emphasized that while UNDSS is responding through training, threat analysis, and operational coordination, these efforts must be reinforced by accountability. Warning that impunity in one context places humanitarians everywhere at risk, Mr. Michaud urged Member States who haven’t already done so to accede to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and its Optional Protocol and called on States Parties to these instruments to ensure that deliberate attacks against, or other mistreatment of, personnel acting on behalf of the United Nations are investigated and prosecuted.
He further cautioned that funding cuts to the United Nations and partners of the Saving Lives Together Framework are limiting security support in high-risk areas and stressed the need to prioritize the integration of security in mandates, budgeting and operational planning. Despite growing constraints, USG Michaud reaffirmed UNDSS’s frontline commitment:
“We are there making sure convoys remain safe. Supplies get delivered. Kids get vaccinated. Even in the most volatile environments, we are the engine room that makes sure the entire system can operate.”
