8264TH MEETING (AM)
SC/13348
22 MAY 2018
français
Under no circumstances could parties to conflict or their supporters be exempt from the global legal regime protecting civilians, the Security Council heard today, with some speakers urging even stricter adherence to those crucial international norms against today’s complex backdrop of proxy wars and asymmetric threats.
“Conflict around the world is unleashing relentless horror and suffering,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in opening remarks to the Council’s quarterly debate on civilian protection. While more than 128 million people around the globe currently required humanitarian aid — a staggering figure driven mainly by conflict — there were also reasons for optimism. For example, he said, Afghanistan had recently adopted a policy to prevent civilian casualties, Somalia had instituted mechanisms to track civilian harm and 19 African nations had adopted a communiqué on protecting civilians from the use of explosive weapons.
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he Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine said that for decades, his people had endured a protection crisis, compounded by the length and depth of the Israeli military occupation. Only blatant impunity could explain how Israel dared to open fire from hundreds of meters away on peaceful protesters, he said, stressing that under international law, an occupying Power could not claim the right to security at the expense of the right to security, protection and well-being of the occupied people. Kuwait, in its capacity as the Arab representative of the Council, had begun consultations on a draft resolution on the protection of Palestinian civilians, he said, urging Council members to seize the opportunity to demonstrate that the principles enacted in its resolutions had no exceptions.
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MALEEHA LODHI (Pakistan) said that targeted attacks, sexual violence, forced conscription and indiscriminate killings collectively painted a bleak picture of the human costs of modern-day armed conflict. Civilians had become the principal objects of attack and the Geneva Conventions were being violated. Such crimes continued to be perpetrated in the State of Palestine and Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she said. Violations could be mitigated by the consistent use of the entire range of means for promoting compliance with international humanitarian law and ensuring accountability. Military training must include familiarization with the principles of international law governing armed conflict and a full understanding of the legal implications of commands issued and obeyed in combat conditions. Moreover, the lack of political will to fully respect humanitarian law and other applicable rules represented the primary impediment to protecting civilians during armed conflict. Civilian protection should also represent a priority for United Nations peacekeeping operations and, as one of the leading troop-contributing countries, Pakistan’s “Blue Helmets” had contributed to many success stories in Africa.
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FERIDUN HADI SINIRLIOĞLU (Turkey) said…noting that the Council’s response in addressing issues in Syria and Palestine was lacking.
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RIYAD H. MANSOUR, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said that for decades, his people had endured a protection crisis, compounded by the length and depth of the Israeli military occupation and the impunity enjoyed by that country. Only blatant impunity could explain how Israel dared to open fire from hundreds of meters away on peaceful protesters, he said, adding that as per international law, an occupying Power could not claim the right to security at the expense of the right to security, protection and well-being of the occupied people. Noting that Kuwait, in its capacity as the Arab representative of the Council, had begun consultations on a draft resolution on the protection of Palestinian civilians, he urged Council members to seize the opportunity to demonstrate that the principles enacted in its resolutions had no exceptions.
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LANA ZAKI NUSSEIBEH (United Arab Emirates) said the Middle East had been plagued by multiple armed conflicts often exacerbated or prolonged by the Security Council’s inaction. The consequences of the Council’s failure act in implementation of its own resolutions could be seen in Syria — where civilians faced violence, chemical weapon attacks and the denial of aid — and in Palestine, where disregard for the root causes of conflict would lead to further bloodshed.
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For information media. Not an official record.
