On her initiative Greece and after coordinated diplomatic efforts a joint statement was achieved 80 UN Member States to protect civilians in armed conflict.
The statement was spoken by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis before the start of his meeting Security Council in which Greece is chairing this month.
“Today we are coming with a clear message: Protection of civilians is not optional. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law and a moral imperative that we cannot ignore, “the foreign minister said.
At the closure of the intervention, he said: “Let us reiterate our collective responsibility for the protection of the most vulnerable, to observe international law, the priority of the security, the dignity and the rights of the civilians, and let us ensure that their faces and voices – who are often left behind.
The Minister’s intervention:
“I have the honor of making this statement on behalf of 80 delegations that are committed to keeping international humanitarian law and protecting civilians in armed conflict.
This year, civilians in armed conflicts continue to live under unimaginable conditions of continuous danger, insecurity and pain. The United Nations recorded at least 36,000 civilian deaths in 14 armed conflicts in 2024. The use of explosive weapons in residential areas caused tens of thousands of victims in many conflicts, while mines and remains of war explosives continued to endanger civilians.
According to the Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA), Gaza has been facing the “worst humanitarian crisis” since the onset of hostilities, following the attacks of October 7, 2023, with civilians suffering from hunger and being in critical risk of starvation, according to IPC, according to IPC, conflict. In Sudan, civilians carry the main weight of violence, with millions of internal displaced and above half of the population facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Extensive suffering is also suffering from civilians in the Congo People’s Republic, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.
This cannot be continued. Today, we are coming with a clear message: Protection of civilians is not optional. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law and a moral imperative that we cannot ignore.
In view of the worsening of armed conflict and the contempt of the life of civilians in many areas, we call on all warring parties to respect international humanitarian law in every occasion, as well as all Member States to use their influence to ensure that it is respected by all parties. This is the minimum – it is not expectation, but a commitment – is a legal obligation.
Civilians, women and men, children, older people and people with disabilities, everyone suffers. Health staff, farmers, teachers are killed, injured and forced to flee. Civilians become very often targeted or simply abandoned as side losses of war. Their protection should not be a secondary issue – it must be at the heart of all military plans and political decisions. We reiterate our appeal to the warrants from protecting civilians and non -military infrastructure, including those necessary for the survival of civilians, and to treat all the persons under their jurisdiction.
We welcome the vital role of actors in the field of humanitarian aid and condemn all acts of violence and threats against them. Last year it was the year with the most deaths recorded for humanitarian staff, as more than 360 workers were killed in 20 countries. This has to stop. We confirm our determination to take measures and use diplomatic means to guarantee the safety and protection of humanitarian staff staff and to allow him to carry out his activities and execute his order in accordance with the principles of humanity.
We call on the places involved in conflict to allow and facilitate, as required by international humanitarian law, safe, rapid and seamless humanitarian access to all citizens in need. Tooling assistance for political, military or strategic security objectives is unacceptable.
We recognize the important work of journalists, media professionals and partners and call on the parties involved to respect their professional independence and their rights. At a time when misinformation and incorrect information have been facilitated and widely disseminated, frequently supplying conflicts, independent media and on -site reports are of particular importance.
We confirm that the accountability of those who violates is necessary. Alleged violations of international humanitarian law and alleged violations and human rights violations in armed conflict must be systematically treated with reliable investigations and the perpetrators must be held accountable. Impunity cannot be the rule. Impunity is not just a failure of justice – constitutes a granting permit for repetition.
With the “week of civilian protection” in progress and today’s open debate that restores the spotlight where they are appropriate – to civilian civilians – we stress that protection is not just about dealing with crisis – it also concerns them. We need a more complete approach to complete protection of civilians.
Let us reiterate our collective responsibility for protecting the most vulnerable, keeping international law, priority in security, dignity and rights of civilians, and let us ensure that their faces and voices – who often remain invisible and implicitly behind our statistics.
Let us re -commit not only to words, but with specific steps – to protection, to accountability and, ultimately, to peace.
Thank you”