"This cannot become the new reality of warfare."
Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations on Protection of Civilians.
Thank you Mr. President for holding this debate, for ensuring that this chamber hears the voices of civil society, and for your own speech. It’s quite rare to get a round of applause from this audience. And thank you too to the Secretary-General, to the ICRC, and to Human Rights Watch for excellent contributions, and I pay tribute to them and their teams’ work.
The UN Charter is clear, protecting civilians is supposed to be at the heart of what we do. When governments fail to protect, people look to this Council, for safety from the scourge of war. But for civilians in Syria, South Sudan, so many other places, this isn’t about words in the Charter or a debate once a year, it is a horrific daily reality.
The sheer scale of the need is unprecedented. 2016 saw record numbers of people needing assistance and protection, so many of them victims of conflict and of the flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. So many of them becoming victims of sexual violence, trafficking, or other modern forms of slavery.
As our briefers made clear, that suffering has been made worse through cruel, unconscionable attacks on medical facilities. Look at the fall of Aleppo last year. Time and again, the regime and its backers bombed that city until all the hospitals were out of action, so that the city could not even care for its injured.
Sadly, the trend is spreading. As the Secretary-General pointed out, the urbanization of conflict in Aleppo, Mosul, Juba, has increased the risk of destruction of hospitals, schools, water systems, and power supplies.
This cannot become the new reality of warfare. Fifteen years on from this Council’s first formal commitment to protect civilians in armed conflict, it’s clear that we need a new approach.
So I welcome the Secretary-General’s call to reinvigorate a global campaign which would take practical steps to minimize civilian harm, protect those that are displaced, ensure peacekeepers perform their best, and deliver accountability for those who flout compliance with international law.
In support, we should all do four things. First, we need to take practical steps to mitigate impacts on the ground. For instance, work is ongoing to fortify healthcare facilities in Syria and to promote access to mobile clinics in Yemen. In South Sudan, UK peacekeepers are helping strengthen the security and accessibility of the UN’s Protection of Civilian Sites.
Second, we should share best practice. That means the full participation of women in efforts to protect civilians. It also means full compliance with international humanitarian law by all. In the UK, we train our military on international humanitarian law throughout their careers, including with country-specific courses before they deploy. And we’re sharing our expertise to help other governments and their armed forces comply with international humanitarian law, and we’re helping them to make their military justice systems more effective.
Third, we need to collect better and more systematic data on attacks on medical facilities and personnel. We support the Secretary-General’s commitment to do this within the UN system, but it’s not enough to collect data, we need to use it. So we call for more Council briefings from the whole UN family, including OCHA, OHCHR, and the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, whenever attacks on medical facilities and personnel occur.
Finally, this Council needs to take action when violations occur. When States fail to act, it’s our responsibility to decide that these abuses will not be tolerated, that we will hold those responsible accountable.
In this chamber, we have a duty to shine a light on those who fail to comply with international law. We have a duty to collect the evidence that is so essential for timely legal action against those who attack medical personnel and facilities in violation of international humanitarian law.
But we are not fulfilling that duty, Mr. President, not yet. So today, let us all recommit to using this Council’s authority, shouldering our responsibility to prevent conflict, to protect civilians, and to hold to account those who violate international humanitarian law, and those who violate and abuse human rights. The UK will continue to show leadership, including as part of the Secretary-General’s global campaign.
Thank you.