Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the open debate on the Protection of civilians in armed conflict

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I also want to thank Under-Secretary-General Nderitu and OCHA Assistant Secretary-General Msuya for their briefing and for detailing the developments of the protection of civilians agenda in the Secretary-General latest annual report on Protection of civilians. I would also like to thank ICRC President Spoljaric Egger and the CSO representative for their briefings today.

This Council has been formally addressing Protection of Civilians in armed conflict as a crucial matter of international peace and security for the past 25 years. Slovenia, as a member of the Security Council in 1999, contributed to the adoption of the Resolution 1265. Protection of civilians is one of our longstanding priorities and we appreciate that Mozambique is organizing this debate.

After two decades and a half, protection of civilians is more relevant than ever.

Mr. President,

The latest Secretary-General report on the Protection of civilians, as well as briefings that we heard today, are a call for action to reverse a dangerous trend. Armed conflicts are changing and growing in scale. Children, women, older persons and persons with disabilities are particularly affected. More civilians are being killed. More humanitarian and medical workers helping civilians in conflict are being killed. Other impacts remain multifaceted, profound and long-term. Latest SG report documents a tragic and grim picture: a 70 %  increase of civilian deaths as well as significant increase of conflict-related sexual violence. The fact that this Council has already met twice this year under the Protection of Civilians agenda item on two situations and discussed two White Notes on food insecurity, speaks for itself.

Seven out of ten recorded civilian deaths last year occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. Forced displacement, conflict-driven hunger and denied access to essential goods and services, humanitarian aid and medical care in Gaza are reaching beyond catastrophic levels. After a year of armed conflict, Sudan faces the world’s worst displacement crisis and is on the verge of famine and as we heard today on the verge of genocide. The escalating violence around El Fasher has deepened the crisis, trapping people in a cycle of relentless bloodshed, hunger, and a desperate struggle for survival.

As the world continues to urbanize, so do armed conflicts, which has devastating consequences for civilian life, infrastructure, services and cultural property. Targeting and destroying civilian critical infrastructure as we are witnessing daily in Ukraine, is a violation of international humanitarian law. Landmines and explosive remnants of war hinder hope for a safe return of refugees and post-conflict recovery. We heard this week that Ukraine has become one of the most mine-infested countries and that it would take decades to make it mine-safe again for civilians.

Impact of armed conflicts on freshwater, water-related installations and water services is leaving millions of civilians without safe water, posing grave humanitarian, developmental and environmental challenges. More awareness raising is needed and Slovenia intends to join others in launching a Global Alliance to Spare Water from Armed Conflicts later this week.

Mr. President,

This year we mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions – the core of international humanitarian law. And yet we are witnessing erosion of respect for international humanitarian law, erosion of protection of civilians as well as erosion of respect and protection of humanitarian and medical organizations and workers.

We should use this anniversary as an opportunity to renew the commitment for full respect and compliance with international humanitarian law. However, our commitment should not be abstract but rather very concrete: It should not be words but action, to end with the words of the President of the ICRC.

Thank you.

Recent Statements