S/PV.9634 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Viet Nam to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2024/400, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Viet Nam. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall first give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

Switzerland is honoured to introduce a draft resolution (S/2024/400) aimed at strengthening the protection of those who protect: humanitarian and United Nations personnel. This draft resolution is therefore dedicated to the humanitarian and United Nations actors active throughout the world who put their lives at risk every day to assist and protect civilians affected by armed conflict. We started from a very simple but worrisome observation: the increase in violence and attacks against humanitarian and United Nations personnel not only endangers their lives, but also their efforts to protect those populations. In 2023, more than 250 humanitarian workers paid the ultimate price, and hundreds were injured or deprived of their freedom, worldwide. Those figures, which represent the shattered destinies of many families, are shocking. They demand not only the urgent attention of the Council, but also its firm response. The Swiss draft resolution on which we will be voting in a few minutes’ time reflects and responds to that urgency. The draft resolution before members capitalizes on resolution 2175 (2014), which the Council adopted 10 years ago. We have updated it and given added emphasis to the protection of national and locally recruited personnel. They are the backbone of humanitarian assistance and protection and constitute the overwhelming majority — over 90 per cent — of those affected. The draft resolution requires parties to conflicts to respect their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. It recalls the obligations to respect and protect humanitarian and United Nations personnel, underlines the Council’s concern at the growing number of attacks on such personnel and condemns all acts of violence. The draft resolution also contributes to efforts to combat impunity and promote accountability. In particular, it urges all States to independently conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations of violations of international humanitarian law committed against humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and to take action against those responsible for such violations. The draft resolution also takes into account the new challenges facing humanitarian and United Nations personnel, such as disinformation. It requests the Secretary-General, within six months, to make recommendations on measures to prevent and better protect the personnel concerned and to respond to attacks and acts of violence by holding the perpetrators accountable for those crimes. It also requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on an annual basis. The obligation to respect and protect humanitarian and United Nations personnel is also incumbent upon all States Members of the United Nations, which is why we welcome the large number of sponsors and warmly thank them. Together, let us protect humanitarian and United Nations personnel, including national and locally recruited staff, and assume our responsibilities towards those civilians. We thank Council members for their interest and great commitment to this important issue. Several of them had already expressed this need at the end of last year, notably Brazil, and we are grateful for their initial work. We therefore endeavoured to meet their expectations as much as possible. The draft resolution also enjoys broad support outside the Council and among humanitarian actors, with whom we maintained close coordination throughout the process. As we commemorate this year the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and the twenty- fifth anniversary of the protection of civilians on the Council’s agenda, it is essential that the Council reaffirm its commitment to international humanitarian law. We therefore call on all Council members to support the draft resolution with one voice.

I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 14 votes in favour, none against and 1 abstention. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2730 (2024). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

Switzerland welcomes the Security Council’s adoption of this resolution (resolution 2730 (2024)) and thanks all Council members. It is a strong and hopeful message, and an unequivocal one in favour of respect for international humanitarian law. We warmly thank all the sponsors of this resolution, further clear testimony towards the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel and their centrality to humanitarian action. This resolution reaffirms the responsibility of States and parties to conflicts to respect and protect the civilian population, and in particular the men and women who work every day to help people affected by armed conflict. Today’s vote therefore demonstrates the importance the Council attaches to that work, very often carried out in dangerous contexts. Allow me for a moment to put faces to some of those for whom this resolution comes too late. I am thinking, for example, of Lorena Pérez, the 38-year- old woman killed in Afghanistan a few years ago. As an International Committee of the Red Cross physiotherapist, she was helping children, women and men in a rehabilitation centre in Mazar-e-Sharif. Her colleagues remember her as “the heart of the centre”. Let us also remember Sérgio Vieira de Mello, former High Commissioner for Human Rights, killed in Iraq some 20 years ago along with 22 of his colleagues. In the words of Martin Griffiths, Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: (spoke in English) “He devoted his entire life, since his early 20s, to humanitarian action and, always keeping a Charter of the United Nations in his pocket, expanded the notion of humanitarian action, before he paid for it with his life.” (spoke in French) And let us never forget Komon Dioma, the Médecins sans Frontières driver killed in Burkina Faso a few months ago. This resolution pays tribute to them. It is dedicated to all those who work in contexts that are both fragile and complex, risking their lives, and about whom we often only know scant information, whether in Gaza, the Sudan or Ukraine. In that context, and as provided for in this resolution, we are delighted to hear the Secretary-General’s recommendations for strengthening the protection of those men and women whose sole purpose is to assist and protect. This year we commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the protection of civilians on the agenda of the Council and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the cornerstones of international humanitarian law and a reflection of our common humanity. Universally ratified, they are more relevant than ever. To save lives, their implementation is essential.

The Republic of Korea voted in favour of the resolution (resolution 2730 (2024)), which my delegation found both timely and relevant, given the growing need to protect humanitarian personnel and civilians in armed conflict. Recently, we have witnessed an alarming increase in humanitarian personnel casualties in armed conflicts worldwide. Also, more than 33,000 civilians lost their lives in armed conflict last year, up 72 per cent from 2022. Ten years ago, the Republic of Korea, then a Security Council member, co-sponsored resolution 2175 (2014), on the protection of humanitarian personnel and civilians, which was adopted unanimously. Now, a decade later, commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, it would be meaningful for the Security Council to reaffirm its commitment to international humanitarian law. I also welcome the fact that this resolution is duly updated to reflect developments over the past decade, such as the need to address the increasing threats of misinformation, disinformation and landmines; enhance women’s participation in humanitarian activities; and leverage new technologies to support humanitarian personnel. Once again, I appreciate Switzerland’s initiative in submitting this resolution, which will hopefully serve as a reminder to the international community to respect international humanitarian law.

Guyana thanks Switzerland for submitting this timely resolution, which was successfully adopted (resolution 2730 (2024)). The adoption of this resolution sends a strong signal of support by the Council for the work of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, particularly in conflict situations. That is of particular significance at this juncture, when humanitarians are facing increasing risks. We salute those humanitarians who paid the ultimate price as they themselves laboured to save lives, and we express our appreciation and support to those who continue that arduous work. The continued violations of international humanitarian law that are being witnessed in many armed conflicts across the globe are unacceptable, including violations directed at humanitarian and United Nations personnel. Guyana underscores that humanitarian personnel and United Nations personnel must not be harmed and that their safety must be guaranteed. That is indispensable for the provision of humanitarian relief to the millions of civilians in need. Those who perpetuate illegal acts against humanitarians should be held to account. Recognizing that this year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, we urge States that have not done so to ratify the 1977 Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. I conclude by reiterating Guyana’s firm and unwavering support for the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including international humanitarian law, and we urge the full implementation of the resolution adopted this morning.

Slovenia welcomes the adoption of resolution 2730 (2024), which we co-sponsored. We thank Switzerland for leading the consultations and for submitting the resolution. In 2024, nearly 300 million people rely on the commitment, courage and selflessness of aid workers for the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance. With the increasing number of conflicts and instances of international humanitarian law violations, we hope that this resolution will help to raise awareness about their incredible work, the risks they are facing and, first and foremost, about the protection they need in order to be able to do that work. In particular, we commend the emphasis on the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women as well as on mainstreaming a gender perspective in humanitarian crises and post- conflict reconstruction. Furthermore, we welcome the recognition of new challenges, such as disinformation and misinformation campaigns, which are increasingly emerging as means and methods of warfare and pose a real risk of harm to civilians, humanitarian workers and humanitarian organizations. Slovenia remains concerned about the number of attacks against humanitarian personnel and the high number of casualties among them. Since 2003, the year in which the Security Council adopted resolution 1502 (2003), on the protection of humanitarian personnel, at least 2,491 aid workers have lost their lives. More than 4,500 were wounded or kidnapped. Those numbers continue to grow with every month of ongoing armed conflict in Gaza, the Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere. That is simply inexcusable and unjustifiable. This year we mark 75 years since the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions. Their provisions and safeguards remain as important and as relevant as they ever were. It is our understanding that the resolution we adopted today reconfirms that the Council is aware of that and is able to take action with the goal of supporting international humanitarian law and acknowledging the need to respect it.

The United States is proud to have voted in favour of this resolution (resolution 2730 (2024)), which recognizes the significant role that humanitarian personnel play in efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The United States is concerned about the increased number of attacks, acts of violence and threats against humanitarian personnel. This resolution will further develop the Council’s 25-year commitment to raising awareness of the protection of civilians in armed conflict as a matter of international peace and security. Yet, in the 25 years since the Security Council first addressed the protection of civilians, we are failing in that commitment. In Ukraine, civilians face nightly terror as Russia’s drones and bombs fall from the skies, often hitting protected sites. Russia continues to target critical infrastructure in the hope of plunging civilians into darkness and paralyzing daily life. We have seen thousands of children being forcibly transferred to Russian-controlled territories and deported to Russia itself — often taken from families and guardians who are desperately working to get them back. In Gaza, we are heartbroken and outraged over the casualties involving humanitarian personnel. More than 250 humanitarian workers have been killed in the conflict, more than in any other conflict in the history of the United Nations. That harm to workers of great courage, who are risking their lives to help Palestinian civilians, is unacceptable. We know that Hamas has used civilian sites in Gaza, including schools and hospitals, as bases for attacks. Hamas also uses human shields and commits other violations of international humanitarian law. Those odious practices put civilians, including humanitarian personnel, directly in harm’s way. They must end now. In particular, we condemn Hamas’s hostage-taking and call for the hostages’ release, and we reiterate our call for the Council to reaffirm its support for the international legal frameworks that provide mechanisms for the prevention, prosecution and punishment of all acts of hostage-taking. Also in Gaza, Israel must do more  — much more — to prevent the death and harm of aid workers and United Nations personnel. There must be functioning deconfliction mechanisms that keep humanitarian personnel and convoys safe. We insist that all attacks on humanitarian personnel in Gaza, regardless of whether they be committed against local or international staff, be investigated thoroughly. And there must be full and public accountability for those responsible for any wrongdoing. There must be an end to the heated, sometimes violent, rhetoric against humanitarian and United Nations personnel. That rhetoric risks inciting more vigilante violence, such as attacks on aid convoys and arson attacks against the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in East Jerusalem. And in the Sudan, both sides of the senseless conflict are inflicting unimaginable suffering on civilians, causing the world’s worst displacement crisis and putting the lives of humanitarian workers at risk as they work to stave off famine and to provide life-saving assistance. Since the start of the war, the Sudan has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarians. We mourn the loss of two staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Darfur just this month, and we fear what horrors lie ahead if the parties plunge further into the spiral of death and destruction. As we speak, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is amassing troops and tightening their siege on El Fasher and its 1.6 million residents, bringing the city to the brink of catastrophe. We urge the RSF to pull back their forces and for all parties to take urgent steps to de-escalate. The war is not receiving enough of the world’s attention, and we must end it now. Let me be clear: all parties to armed conflict in any part of our world must comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Civilians everywhere must be protected. Humanitarian and United Nations workers everywhere must be able to do their jobs. The United States also wishes to commend Switzerland for its skilful facilitation of this resolution. In particular, we appreciate how the resolution captures the policy goal shared by all States of promoting respect for international humanitarian law, while avoiding any suggestion that States have legal obligations to ensure that other States or parties to a conflict must respect international humanitarian law. We also wanted to register our perspective that a few technical aspects should be improved in further iterations of the Council’s work relating to international humanitarian law. Most States do not recognize an international humanitarian law principle of precaution. The United States understands international humanitarian law to contain several rules requiring the taking of feasible precautions, which are based on the fundamental international humanitarian law principle of proportionality. In addition, the language in the resolution regarding the prosecution of violations should be refined in the light of State practice and States nuanced legal obligations in the area, which allow for the appropriate exercise of prosecutorial discretion.

Japan welcomes the adoption of resolution 2730 (2024), on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel, which we co-sponsored. Japan deeply appreciates Switzerland’s leadership in drafting the resolution. As we commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the protection of civilians agenda here in the Security Council and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Japan believes that this resolution is a vital step towards securing the safety of those who risk their lives daily to help others in conflict zones for a higher cause. We really must protect them, as other members of the Security Council already stated today. As a strong advocate for human security, Japan continues to promote the protection of civilians, including humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel, together with the Member States, the United Nations system and civil society organizations.

As my delegation expressed during the open debate that took place on Tuesday (see S/PV.9632), the protection of civilians is an integral part of Ecuador’s foreign policy and constitutes one of the priorities that has guided our participation in the Security Council. Ecuador recognizes and values the work of humanitarian workers, whose assistance to civilians in conflict situations can mean the difference between life and death. Regrettably, and as evidenced by the Secretary- General’s recent report on the protection of civilians (S/2024/385), humanitarians are increasingly subjected to attacks. The statement by the Permanent Representative of Switzerland this morning was clear and convincing in that regard. That is why my delegation decided to co-sponsor and vote in favour of the resolution submitted by the Swiss delegation (resolution 2730 (2024)), which we thank for its leadership, for its openness to incorporate member States’ feedback and for building on the initiative launched by Brazil in December. Ecuador is confident that resolution 2730 (2024), which we just adopted and which is already part of the normative framework for the protection of civilians, will help to reaffirm and strengthen the protection of humanitarian personnel, their premises and their property, a matter that takes on even greater importance with this year’s commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Malta welcomes the adoption of resolution 2730 (2024). Over the past two months, Switzerland engaged with the members of the Security Council with great diligence and transparency, endeavouring to produce a resolution that would enhance the protection of humanitarian personnel, United Nations staff and their associated premises and assets. We sincerely thank Switzerland for all its efforts. The result is a meaningful and important text that we were pleased to co-sponsor. The negotiations took place against the grim backdrop of the deadliest year in the history of the United Nations, marked by the tragic loss of hundreds of humanitarian personnel in Gaza and the broader relentless assaults on humanitarian workers, premises and assets across the globe. The resolution that we just adopted contains several pivotal advancements in safeguarding United Nations and humanitarian personnel, most notably local and national staff, while they undertake their vital duties. Among other things, the resolution establishes a crucial mechanism for the Secretary-General to brief and alert the Council when widespread targeted attacks against humanitarian and United Nations personnel and their assets occur. It calls upon the Secretary-General to continue to provide a dedicated section on the issue in his country-specific reports. It requests him to present to the Council measures to prevent and respond to incidents regarding attacks, intimidation, detention, harassment and bodily harm against humanitarian personnel. The adoption of this resolution is a victory for the international norms and the principles designed to protect civilians and those who endeavour to assist them. As we conclude Protection of Civilians Week for 2024, we find ourselves far from the world envisioned by our predecessors in 1999. Yet we must remain steadfast in our commitment to that vision. We must strive to realize a world in which the safety and dignity of every human being trapped in armed conflict is upheld. The adoption of this resolution is a step in that direction.

Let me join colleagues in thanking Switzerland for its work in taking forward this very important resolution (resolution 2730 (2024)) and the collaborative way in which it did so. On behalf of the United Kingdom, I would also like to take the opportunity today to pay tribute all United Nations and humanitarian personnel for their vital work. The United Kingdom strongly supports the purposes of this resolution. United Nations and humanitarian workers operate worldwide in extremely difficult and often dangerous conditions. It is right that we, as a Security Council, have today affirmed the protections that they need and deserve. Crucially, the resolution is clear that parties to armed conflicts have obligations to protect local and national aid workers, as well as United Nations and international humanitarian personnel. We call on all Member States to facilitate their work and to support their efforts. Local and national aid workers are essential in efforts to reach the most vulnerable. They often risk their own lives to help to save the lives of others. We welcome the firm language reaffirming the importance of international humanitarian law and the need to focus on protection from the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence. Finally, we welcome the resolution’s focus on addressing misinformation and disinformation and encourage further steps to counter that increasing threat to United Nations and humanitarian staff. We look forward to seeing the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report and remain committed to taking forward this important agenda.

The Russian Federation abstained in the voting on resolution 2730 (2024), submitted by Switzerland, on the protection of humanitarian personnel. The Russian Federation has embraced a consistent position on all matters related to ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian workers and United Nations personnel. From the outset, we were active and constructive participants in the negotiations process, and we presented our principled concerns in a timely manner. We are grateful to the Swiss penholders for their efforts to seek consensus and for taking into account many of our proposals. At the same time, it is regrettable that, owing to the pressure of some Western delegations, a number of comments were left out, including provisions on accountability for violations of international humanitarian law in the context of certain international courts and tribunals, the proposed parameters for ensuring humanitarian access, as well as the hackneyed gender language. Attempts to push through initiatives that clearly do not enjoy universal support have long since ceased to surprise us. Given the growing number of crises in different parts of the world, the delivery of humanitarian assistance remains one of the most dangerous activities. We pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the staff of international humanitarian agencies, who, under difficult conditions, continue to pursue the crucial task of preventing civilian suffering. It is clear that, despite the measures taken by the international community, the fulfilment of obligations to protect humanitarian personnel leaves much to be desired. The increase in the number of deaths and injuries of humanitarian workers over the past year raises serious concern. In the Gaza Strip alone, 262 humanitarian workers have been killed, of whom 193 were United Nations staff, primarily from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. In that connection, we draw attention to the hypocritical statement made by the representative of the United States. Here in the Security Council, he laments the casualties among civilians and humanitarian workers, but the truth is that Washington has been sending unprecedented quantities of weapons to West Jerusalem and Kyiv. If the United States stops doing that, there would be far fewer casualties, perhaps even none at all. Ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel is the cornerstone and primary task when establishing effective mechanisms for delivering humanitarian assistance. Amid intense hostilities, the delivery of assistance to those in need poses extreme risk to the lives and health of humanitarian workers. Every effort must be made to prevent attacks and violence against these courageous people, but in many cases there is only one way to do so — through an immediate ceasefire and political and diplomatic solutions. That is exactly what we have been calling for repeatedly in the Chamber. Cases of violence against humanitarian workers must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. In that regard, we believe that humanitarian organizations must assume maximum responsibility in protecting their staff. Strict compliance with the guiding principles for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, as set out in General Assembly resolutions, remains an imperative. Respect for the national laws, traditions and customs of host countries and close cooperation with local authorities also play an indisputable role in mitigating risks to the safety and security of humanitarian personnel.

Sierra Leone commends Switzerland for the leadership, successful negotiation and adoption of resolution 2730 (2024), on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel and their premises and assets. We also commend the Security Council for demonstrating unity on this important issue. Sierra Leone is pleased to be a co-sponsor of the resolution. As we commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the protection of civilians on the agenda of the Security Council, and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, this resolution reaffirms the Council’s commitment to international humanitarian law amid the contemporary political and security challenges. It also reinforces the Council’s strong condemnation of violence against humanitarian workers in a similar vein as resolutions 1502 (2003) and 2175 (2014). The Secretary-General’s 2024 report on the protection of civilians (S/2024/385) identifies attacks against humanitarian workers as a major impediment to effective humanitarian support in conflict situations in 2023. The number of aid workers killed in 2023 more than doubled — from 118 in 2022 to 261 in 2023, with an additional 278 aid workers reportedly kidnapped and 196 wounded worldwide. It is unacceptable that, despite the Council having adopted 10 resolutions to date, urging States to ensure accountability for unlawful killings of aid workers, such killings have continued with few consequences. This resolution sends a strong message of solidarity to humanitarian workers worldwide. My delegation urges the Council to remain seized of the gaps and challenges faced by humanitarian workers, including challenges to justice when they are the victim of attacks and the need for improved security risk management strategies to enhance the protection of humanitarian workers in armed conflict.

I would like to begin my statement by paying tribute to all humanitarian aid workers, especially those who have sacrificed their lives in service of humankind. I would also like to thank Switzerland for its excellent work in facilitating the negotiations process on this very timely and relevant resolution (resolution 2730 (2024)). I also thank the delegations of China and Brazil for their efforts at the inception of this crucial initiative, which indeed proved its relevance in the current aggression of the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza. Since the start of the negotiations process, Algeria has actively engaged in good faith and in a very constructive manner. We thank the delegation of Switzerland for its openness and collaborative approach and for accommodating some of our proposals. This final draft was balanced and reflects a number of our priorities, and we were glad to sponsor it. This outcome is a clear message from the Council to the humanitarian community that its work is highly appreciated and valued and that its workers deserve protection, in accordance with international humanitarian law, which all parties to conflict should respect. Paragraph 2 of the just-adopted resolution is clear, calling “upon all States and parties to armed conflict to respect and to ensure respect for applicable international humanitarian law in all circumstances”. It is our responsibility as the international community, and in particular the Security Council, to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected by all parties. Accountability and zero impunity are key words. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s recommendations on measures to ensure accountability and enhance the protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited aid workers and their premises and assets. The adoption of the resolution is an occasion to remember the suffering of civilian and humanitarian personnel, in particular those who are locally recruited in conflict zones. Unfortunately, parties to conflicts tend to ignore international humanitarian law and the rules of the law of war. All the crimes and violations mentioned in the resolution we have just adopted  — yes, all of them — are committed by the Israeli occupying forces. I will highlight a few. First, with regard to the indiscriminate use of explosive devices, nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, and 20 per cent of them are women, 8 per cent are elderly persons and 32 per cent are children. If that is not indiscriminate bombardment, if it is not indiscriminate killing, what is it? Secondly, with regard to the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and the depriving of civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, between 10 and 16 May, only five aid trucks were allowed access to Gaza compared to 500 before 7 October, with 1.1 million people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and starvation. Thirdly, with regard to the killing of personnel engaged in humanitarian activities, at least 262 aid workers have so far been killed in Gaza, making that aggression the deadliest conflict for humanitarian personnel in modern history. Fourthly, with regard to disinformation and incitement to violence against humanitarian personnel, which reached its peak with the campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), we have seen the result — the burning of the UNRWA headquarters in Al-Quds and the cruel targeting of its personnel and all humanitarians trying to help the hopeless Palestinians. Those violations must be investigated by an independent and international inquiry committee to establish the facts, to end impunity and to prosecute those who are responsible for those heinous crimes. Before I conclude, I would like to reaffirm that the International Court of Justice orders are legally binding and that the occupying Israeli Power should abide by the order issued today. The occupying Power must immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Mozambique. I wish to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to the delegation of Switzerland for the excellent work that led to the submission of resolution 2730 (2024), which we have just adopted — a resolution that enjoys the full co-sponsorship of Mozambique. During the meetings in this Chamber, we have consistently defended the obligation of the parties in conflict to respect international law, including and in particular international humanitarian law and international human rights law. As emphasized during our open debate on Tuesday, 21 May (see S/PV.9632), it is imperative to protect civilians, humanitarian workers and United Nations aid workers in armed conflicts. We therefore believe that it is crucial to safeguard the lives of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, including national and locally recruited staff, who operate in dangerous conditions and risk their lives to provide essential services to people in need. On the basis of the aforementioned, we voted in favour of the resolution as a reaffirmation of our strong commitment to addressing the critical need to protect those people who provide humanitarian aid and support. The resolution is also recognition of the mounting threats and violence faced by humanitarian workers and United Nations personnel. As a matter of fact, the alarming rise in attacks, including those involving land mines and improvised explosive devices, highlights the urgent need for enhanced protective measures. By voting in favour of the resolution, we also reaffirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of those personnel, which are essential for the successful delivery of humanitarian aid and their contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. The resolution constitutes a comprehensive and robust framework that addresses the myriad challenges faced by humanitarian personnel and United Nations staff in conflict zones. That is why Mozambique strongly supports its adoption. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.