Lisa Doughten was addressing Ambassadors at a Council briefing on stopping and responding to assaults towards humanitarian and UN personnel, in keeping with resolution 2730 (2024), adopted in Could.
“As we glance to the following steps on decision 2730, we urge this Council to champion motion that protects humanitarian and UN personnel; ensures accountability for many who hurt them; and helps survivors and households to rebuild their lives,” she said.
Gaza battle drives surge
To this point, 282 assist staff have been killed this 12 months in locations resembling Gaza and Sudan, in response to Humanitarian Outcomes, the impartial analysis group that maintains a database of all main incidents stretching again to the Nineties.
Different colleagues have been injured, kidnapped, attacked and arbitrarily detained, and most victims are overwhelmingly native employees.
Ms. Doughten mentioned a lot of the unprecedented surge in casualties is because of the scenario in Gaza. For the reason that struggle started final October, greater than 330 humanitarian staff have misplaced their lives, principally employees with the UN company that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA.
“These numbers sign a disturbing lack of regard for the lives of civilians and humanitarian and UN staff. There isn’t any scenario in latest historical past that compares,” she mentioned.
“So, as we collect at this time, in search of particular actions that the Security Council and the broader UN membership might take to extend the safety of assist staff, my first message is that this: Please assist defend my colleagues in Gaza.”
Name for defense
Regardless of the very actual risks, humanitarian and UN personnel proceed to remain and ship, and have offered life-saving help to greater than 116 million individuals worldwide this 12 months.
They have to be protected, Ms. Doughten pressured.
Whereas welcoming decision 2730, she highlighted the vital want for the Council to obviously condemn assaults towards assist staff.
“Our companions need to see renewed, unequivocal political help from the Safety Council and Member States for assist staff and their security,” she mentioned.
“They need you to make use of diplomatic and financial stress to power respect for worldwide regulation. They demand, as does the Secretary-Common, an finish to arms transfers to anybody violating worldwide regulation.”
Accountability for crimes
UN companions are additionally involved by the dearth of accountability for perpetrators of crimes towards humanitarian staff, and the way this emboldens additional offences.
“They need to see extra systematic and common accountability for critical violations,” she continued. “They need Member States to combat impunity with political will and motion, together with by laws that ensures accountability for crimes towards humanitarian staff – each worldwide and home.”
Assist companions additionally need the Council to do extra to make sure accountability, she added. This contains encouraging worldwide cooperation to facilitate investigations and prosecutions, and the place nationwide jurisdictions fail, to ascertain worldwide mechanisms or refer issues to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ultimate space for motion issues supporting humanitarians who’ve suffered hurt. Measures embrace permitting survivors to straight take part in international discussions, together with on the Council, in addition to reparations and authorized assist.
Take motion now
The pinnacle of the UN Division for Security and Safety (UNDSS), Gilles Michaud, said that decision 2730 has by no means been extra very important.
He reported that at this time, UN subject operations face larger complexity, larger wants in additional high-risk areas and threats to UN and assist personnel, together with from State actors.
“Let me be clear. My largest concern is a profound lack of accountability for violence towards humanitarians and UN personnel. And that is the place, now greater than ever, we want you to take motion,” he informed ambassadors.
Mr. Michaud famous that host international locations and UN Member States maintain main duty for the security and safety of the Group’s personnel and the safety of its premises.
He urged all States to affix the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel and its Non-compulsory Protocol, and absolutely implement them.
Focused and collateral violence
Abby Stoddard is a accomplice and director at Humanitarian Outcomes, which compiles the Assist Employee Safety Database.
She mentioned 30 years in the past, deadly assaults on assist staff weren’t frequent.
Again then, the primary threats they confronted had been accidents and diseases, however “at this time, it’s violence – each collateral and focused – which claims extra assist employee lives than every other work-related trigger.”
She famous that 2023 was the deadliest 12 months ever recorded, with 280 fatalities, however 2024 has already exceeded that “terrible complete”.
Ms. Stoddard echoed the calls made for larger safety and accountability.
