By Santo D. Banerjee
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Around the world, conflict is exacting a massive toll on people’s lives. Trapped in wars that are not of their making, millions of civilians are forced to hide or run for their lives. Children are taken out of school, families are displaced from their homes, and communities are torn apart, while the world is not doing enough to stop their suffering. At the same time, health and aid workers – who risk their lives to care for people affected by violence – are increasingly being targeted.
For the World Humanitarian Day 2017 on August 19, humanitarian partners came together to reaffirm that civilians caught in conflict are #NotATarget. Through a global online campaign featuring an innovative partnership with Facebook Live, together with events held around the world, voices were raised to advocate for those most vulnerable in war zones, and demand that world leaders do everything in their power to protect civilians in conflict.
World Humanitarian Day is held every year to pay tribute to aid workers who have risked and lost their lives in humanitarian service. The Day was designated by the General Assembly in 2008 to coincide with the date of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 people. Among those who lost their lives was Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN’s top representative in Iraq.
Each year, World Humanitarian Day focuses on a theme, bringing together stakeholders from across the humanitarian system to advocate for survival, well-being, and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.
The campaign #NotATarget follows on the UN Secretary-General’s report on protection of civilians, which was launched in May this year. Laying out his ‘path to protection’, Secretary-General António Guterres called for enhanced respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, and protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical workers as well as civilian infrastructure.
Guterres stated: Armed conflicts are tearing apart vast swathes of the world and record numbers of people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Some 97 per cent of humanitarian assistance goes to complex emergencies, the majority of which involve armed conflicts.
Globally, more than 65 million people have been displaced by conflict, violence or persecution. More than 20 million people, including 1.4 million children, are on the brink of famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
“At the same time, among the international community there is a growing sense of fatigue, even resignation, in addressing the suffering of civilians in conflict,” warned Guterres in his report published by the Security Council on May 10, 2017.
His overarching priority is to galvanize the international community to prevent and resolve conflicts and build sustainable peace. “In the long term, the best way to protect civilians is to tackle the root causes of conflicts, promote human rights and the rule of law, strengthen governance and institutions and invest in inclusive and sustainable development.”
Guterres called for “a shift from perpetual reaction to early action,” including the ability to identify and act upon signs of impending or potential conflict and threats to civilians. A vital aspect of the commitment to conflict prevention is the need to address illicit and irresponsible arms transfers, which enable conflict and undermine protection and peace-building efforts.
The UN Chief stressed three protection priorities emerging across conflicts. First, enhancing respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law and promoting good practice by parties to conflict.
Second, protecting the humanitarian and medical mission and according priority to the protection of civilians in United Nations peace operations. Third, preventing forced displacement and pursuing durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons.
These protection priorities are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. In particular, strengthening respect for international law is a prerequisite to achieving priorities two and three.
Achieving these goals, as Guterres stressed, necessitates a multi-faceted approach encompassing a diversity of actors. “An intensified global effort is needed at the international, regional and national levels to raise public understanding of the human cost of conflict and enhance respect for international law and the protection of civilians,” he added.
“The Security Council and Member States must be at the forefront of this effort. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States committed themselves to leaving no one behind and to reaching those furthest behind first,” Guterres said, adding: “The World Humanitarian Summit, held in 2016, reinforced this vision. Member States must now take specific action to implement their commitments and ensure that civilians in conflict, who are among the most vulnerable, are protected. I am personally committed to ensuring that this becomes a priority in all aspects of United Nations work.”
The UN Chief is of the view that the Security Council should:
(a) Condemn any instances of arbitrary withholding of consent to impartial humanitarian relief operations or depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supply and access, and emphasize that such acts constitute violations of international humanitarian law;
(b) Call upon parties to conflict to comply with their obligation to respect and protect humanitarian and medical personnel and objects, condemn direct and indiscriminate attacks against such personnel and objects and call for effective investigations into and accountability for such incidents.
In particular, the Security Council should, Guterres said:
(a) Condemn any instances of arbitrary withholding of consent to impartial humanitarian relief operations or depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supply and access, and emphasize that such acts constitute violations of international humanitarian law;
(b) Call upon parties to conflict to comply with their obligation to respect and protect humanitarian and medical personnel and objects, condemn direct and indiscriminate attacks against such personnel and objects and call for effective investigations into and accountability for such incidents.
Guterres also pleaded for endorsing the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians and ensure that military and police personnel provided to peacekeeping operations are fully equipped and trained to effectively implement mandates for the protection of civilians, including mandates to prevent sexual violence in conflict;
“The Security Council should ensure that the protection of civilians is a core aspect of political strategies for preventing and resolving conflict and that political solutions drive protection mandates in peace operations, including through prioritized and sequenced mandates,” the UN Chief said. [IDN-InDepthNews – 19 August 2017]
Image credit: UNOCHA
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