YouSaid · the spoken record

Mardini

lines on the record: 70
first: 2018-11-09
most recent: 2022-05-25
sittings or episodes: 12
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“To that end, the ICRC urges States to take decisive action in the three areas that I highlighted — making the protection of civilians a strategic priority in the planning and conduct of all military and security operations in populated areas, which includes avoiding the use of heavy explosive weapons; working to avoid and prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation in armed conflicts and mitigate their impact on affected people; and ensuring accountability for victims without compromising the neutral and humanitarian space that humanitarian organizations need to operate in. Action in those three areas would go a long way to ensuring better protection of civilians in armed conflicts everywhere. And it might just mean that next year, in this same briefing, we have something to celebrate.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“We respectfully ask that States take that wider view in their pursuit of accountability in the context of armed conflicts, in order to allow and facilitate organizations to work according to their particular mandates. In conclusion, the gap between the ever-growing protection and assistance needs of conflict-affected people and the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver an adequate response is still far too wide. We need to bridge that gap. That means removing obstacles such as restrictive measures that criminalize aid and deny access, politicize funding or impose requirements compromising our humanitarian principles. And we should be clear that the responsibility for removing those obstacles, for ensuring protection, lies first and foremost with States, including the members of the Security Council.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“That is critical if we are to preserve neutrality and impartiality and the ability to access populations in need. For those reasons, we urge States to refrain from making operational humanitarian organizations such as ours responsible for sharing data from international humanitarian law monitoring. Improving compliance with international humanitarian law, which is at the heart of our mandate, includes helping Governments meet their responsibilities by adopting legislation and training their armed forces and police. It includes engaging in constructive dialogue with the parties based on our observations on the ground. It can also include providing technical assistance and practical guidance on domestic legislation that serves as a basis for investigations and help ensure it is effective.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“We therefore urge States and parties to conflicts to ensure that at the very least their own activities and information campaigns are not part of the problem, that they put the protection of civilians at the centre of their efforts and that they do not compromise or endanger the humanitarian space. My third and final concern relates to the increasing pressure on front-line humanitarian organizations to help States obtain information for eventual criminal proceedings in armed conflict. Of course, improving respect for international humanitarian law requires accountability, and accountability in turn helps to prevent violations of international humanitarian law, which is in all our interests. But we need to separate the work of humanitarian organizations from that of investigative bodies.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“We are also seeing the surge in misinformation, online and offline, which jeopardizes humanitarian efforts to earn the trust and acceptance of affected people. False narratives around the role of humanitarian organizations not only hamper our work but can create dangers for the people we try to protect and assist and for our own staff. In that regard too, States have an essential role to play, both in preventing misinformation and disinformation and mitigating their impact on the people affected. Armed conflicts are precisely where the risks are highest and the safeguards lowest.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“Civilian infrastructure, allowing for the provision of essential services to the civilian population, must be protected, as unanimously endorsed in resolution 2573 (2021). That also includes leveraging the influence of Council members and special relationships with allies, partners and proxies to foster respect for the law, while focusing squarely on ensuring better protection outcomes for civilians and others not fighting. The second issue of particular concern is the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech during armed conflict. We see at first-hand in our operations how that phenomenon reduces the ability of affected people to make well-informed decisions that impact their safety and dignity. It dangerously distorts information that is vital to human needs, such as access to safety, shelter and health care.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“The risks often increase when weapons are supplied to belligerents by allies or partners without proper oversight. We once again urge States and parties to armed conflict to avoid the use of heavy explosive weapons in populated areas due to the high risk of indiscriminate effects. We urge them to take preventive and mitigation measures at all levels to that effect to strengthen the protection of civilians and facilitate respect for international humanitarian law. More broadly, we ask States, including Council members, to ensure that the protection of civilians is a strategic priority in the planning and conduct of all military and security operations in populated areas. That includes allowing civilians to receive humanitarian assistance, sparing them from attacks and facilitating their safe passage to obtain respite from violence.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“I hardly need remind members of the massive harm urban warfare causes, primarily to civilians, and all the more so when explosive weapons with wide-area effects are used. All of us have seen it on our screens, if not on the actual front lines — countless people killed or gravely wounded, homes and vital infrastructure destroyed, hospitals faced with multiple casualties and complex injuries quickly overwhelming emergency rooms, survivors left with lifelong disabilities or severe psychological trauma. That clearly raises serious questions about how parties to such conflicts interpret and apply the relevant tools of international humanitarian law. Indeed, the concept of military necessity is abused more often than not. It is used as an excuse for the use of force rather than a reason to limit it.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“At the same time, I come here today with an unwavering sense of hope — hope in our common humanity; hope that things can and will improve and that the words spoken in the Council will translate into a meaningful reality for the millions of women, men and children suffering the horrors of armed conflict. With that in mind, I would like to highlight three issues that we find to be of particular concern — all of them interconnected — with clear asks aimed at improving the situation on the ground. The first is the appalling human cost of war in cities. This certainly is not the first time the ICRC has highlighted that concern in the Security Council, and I dare say it will not be the last.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“While certain progress has been made on the normative and policy fronts on the issue of the protection of civilians, for the most part, the reality on the ground continues to tell a very different story. We see deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, causing untold suffering. We see indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks all too frequently. We see the blatant politicization of humanitarian action, while political solutions to end conflict remain elusive. We see States that have the primary responsibility for respecting, and ensuring respect for, international humanitarian law falling short.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“Mr. Mardini: On behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), I am pleased and honoured to brief the Security Council on what we see as some of the most pressing protection challenges today. My thanks go to the United States for the invitation. Let me be honest: I come here with a certain sense of déjà vu. The ICRC has briefed the Council for many years. Our concerns and asks may have varied somewhat, but the central theme has been much the same — how best to respond to the terrible suffering we witness day in and day out in armed conflicts around the world and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. This year is no different.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042 (2022) · source
“In future resolutions, the Council should explicitly require States to adopt concrete practical measures to facilitate the work of impartial humanitarian organizations. It should carve out similar protections in sanctions regimes, as the Council did in the case of Somalia. We know that it can be done. In the past few years, Switzerland, the Philippines, Chad, the European Union and many others have adopted more protective language, contributing to improved safeguards for humanitarian action. We stand ready to guide and support States and other stakeholders to take practical measures to achieve those goals. Decisive and bold action in those three areas would demonstrate the much-needed political will to protect and serve the people who need humanitarian action and those who provide it.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“That means ensuring that all the words spoken here in New York are translated into reality when they really matter — at checkpoints and on the front lines in armed conflicts around the globe. To that end, we must understand patterns of harm and patterns of influence and find new entry points to influence those who are engaged in fighting and innovative ways to incentivise better behaviour on the part of States’ and Council members’ own armed forces, as well as allies, partners and proxies. Appropriate training in international humanitarian law and accountability are just part of that. The third is to consider and mitigate the humanitarian impact of counter-terrorism measures by putting in place well-crafted standing humanitarian exemptions.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“The first is to ensure that humanitarian organizations are able to maintain close physical proximity to affected populations and sustained engagement with parties to conflict. Protecting the humanitarian space in physical, digital and normative terms means accounting for the specific risks and responsibilities facing local humanitarian workers. When they lose their capacity to be first responders or volunteers, civilians suffer more and the space shrinks. We would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the relentless work and sacrifices of the millions of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers worldwide. The second is to renew consensus around the key tenets of international humanitarian law and ensure that they are respected and implemented.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“For the ICRC, such measures may curtail its personnel’s ability to visit persons being detained by listed groups, recover dead bodies, train armed groups in international humanitarian law and facilitate mutual detainee swaps. While the precise impact of that may be hard to measure, there is no doubt that people suffer just when international humanitarian law should protect them. We see a clear trend of States and donors transferring the risks associated with operating in fragile or conflict environments to humanitarian and local actors. That is simply unsustainable and wrong. Those are some of our top concerns. In terms of how they can be resolved, we have three clear asks for States, including Council members.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“It is critical that neutral and impartial humanitarian organizations be allowed to do independent needs assessments and aid delivery. Access must not be unlawfully denied or withheld, especially when people’s basic needs are not being met. As we have said before, the divisions within the Council, notably with regard to access to populations in need, are increasing suffering on the front lines and the ground. The third issue of concern is the growing negative impact of sanctions and counter-terrorism measures on humanitarian aid. Such measures come in many forms. In the absence of essential safeguards, the humanitarian impact is the same — preventing or restricting the ability of conflict-affected people to access the protection and assistance they need, which the parties owe them.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“The first, which comes as no surprise, is the politicization and manipulation of humanitarian aid. All too often, aid is used to justify, legitimize or help both States and non-State armed groups to further their particular objectives — be they political, military or economic. It puts humanitarian organizations under pressure and effectively holds civilian populations ransom. Humanitarian space is created and upheld by respecting the law to which States have already agreed by consensus. It is not about abusing the law to make a political point. The second issue of concern relates to resorting to armed escorts. When States insist on armed escorts to ensure the safety and security of those delivering humanitarian aid, the result is often the exact opposite — less safety and more security incidents.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“That helps facilitate agreements between the parties on practical measures such as evacuation of the wounded or the transfer of human remains, for example. While there may be different views on what humanitarian space is, there can be little doubt about what happens when there is no humanitarian space. My fellow briefers and I have certainly all seen that close up, and, believe me, it is ugly. It is a dire lack of protection and assistance for those who need it most. It is humanitarian workers, including our own colleagues, in mortal danger, far too many of them traumatized, missing, maimed or even killed. That really is the bottom line. Humanitarian space, or spaces, must be protected without exception. That is where some of our most pressing concerns lie. I would like to highlight just three.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“That puts the onus squarely on parties to armed conflict to provide rapid and unimpeded access to people in need. Access is more than allowing humanitarians to work. It is about ensuring that conflict-affected people and communities can obtain what they need in a safe and dignified way. That requires us to stay as close to them as possible. Access is not static and cannot be binary. It is negotiated by humanitarians with proximity on the ground. It can even be refused out of military necessity. Proximity to people in need is not just key for access; it is key for trust. We know from experience that working in a neutral and independent way is needed to build trust and acceptance across front lines.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Mr. Mardini: It is an honour to be able to address the Council in person on a topic that is a major preoccupation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). We welcome the considerable efforts by France, the European Union and other States to shine a much-needed spotlight on the protection of humanitarian space and humanitarian workers. When we talk about humanitarian space, we are not talking about an abstract concept. Humanitarian space is tangible: it is a prison, a hospital, a water network, a camp. But it is also normative: it is rooted in international humanitarian law and principles and aims to have an effective and sustainable impact. The Geneva Conventions, and international humanitarian law more broadly, mandate a license to carry out impartial humanitarian action.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“The ICRC stands ready to provide expert advice and to support States, United Nations missions and transitional justice mechanisms on ways to: first, include the issue of missing persons and their families in transitional justice processes, whether in truth- seeking, reparations or judicial pillars; secondly, guarantee complementarity between transitional justice processes and any other mechanism set up to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons; and, thirdly, ensure consistency between transitional justice processes and States’ obligations under international humanitarian law.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“People can also go missing in circumstances that might fall outside the scope of the judicial pillar of a transitional justice mechanism. For instance, combatants can go missing in action, or civilians can go missing during displacement or intercommunal violence. Even families in such cases have a right to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives. Thirdly, there must be no impunity for war crimes. In all types of armed conflicts, States have the obligation under international humanitarian law to investigate and prosecute suspects of alleged war crimes, some of which may include violations that have led to people going missing, including cases of enforced disappearances.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“First, it is important to include a stated objective on the clarification of the fate of missing persons and support for families for all cases of missing persons, without discrimination. Such mechanisms must involve the families and have due regard for their emotional well- being and security. We encourage the Security Council and United Nations Member States and missions to see transitional justice processes as an important avenue to implement resolution 2474 (2019), on missing persons in armed conflict, adopted last year. Secondly, all families looking for a missing relative must be provided an individualized answer and support. That applies even if the case is not part of a judicial investigation under a transitional justice mechanism.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Mr. Mardini: After the guns go silent, transitional justice creates a space for truth, accountability and reconciliation. It helps break the cycles of violence and atrocities. Equally important, it plays a humanitarian role. It recognizes wounds and addresses the suffering of individuals, families and communities whose lives were fundamentally changed by the conflict. One humanitarian issue that intersects with transitional justice is the situation of missing persons and their families. If one speaks to families, one hears that their suffering is both acute and haunting. It is the last open wound. As the Security Council meets today to discuss how to improve transitional justice mechanisms, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would like to make the following three recommendations.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“As one of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross knows all too well the suffering that takes place when armed conflict occurs. In today’s world of heightened tensions and protracted conflicts, the Security Council and the international community, more broadly, must redouble their efforts to prevent wars from happening in the first place. Equally important, when wars do happen, they must do their utmost so that parties and those that support them respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law because, in practice, that is what reduces human suffering and preserves human dignity.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699Resumption1 (2020) · source
“Where circumstances permit, advance warning must be given for attacks that may affect the civilian population. If there is a choice between military objectives offering a similar military advantage, the option posing the least risk to civilians and civilian objects must be selected. Secondly, one of the purposes of the United Nations, as set out in Article 1(3) of the United Nations Charter, is to solve international problems of a humanitarian character. To that end, the Security Council addresses humanitarian concerns in armed conflict. It has an important role to play in both maintaining international peace and security and in addressing humanitarian concerns.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699Resumption1 (2020) · source
“First and most critically, under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected against attacks. Parties have a responsibility to take precautions in their attacks and to consider the effects of their attacks so as to spare the civilian population and civilian objects. Indeed, certain objects, such as medical units and transports, cultural property and objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population have specific protections. Under international humanitarian law, an attack must be cancelled if it becomes apparent that it is prohibited. Parties must refrain from carrying out an attack when the expected harm to civilians and civilian objects outweighs the military advantage sought. It thereby becomes a disproportionate, unlawful attack under international humanitarian law.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699Resumption1 (2020) · source
“Mr. Mardini: I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important and timely discussion. When the Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901 it was given to two joint winners — Frédéric Passy, who advocated against war; and Henry Dunant, who campaigned for better protections in war. The Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian law are much like those two prizewinners. The United Nations Charter includes rules on going to war in the first place — jus ad bellum — while international humanitarian law applies in war — jus in bello. Those two distinct bodies of law complement each other to prevent wars on the one hand, and to better protect people in the case of war on the other. Today, in these times of heightened tensions and uncertainty, I will focus on two key points.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699Resumption1 (2020) · source
“To that end, we shall spare no effort in searching for and recovering human remains wherever conflict or other situations of violence might have left an open wound. We hope that Member States willjoin us on this mission by upholding their obligation under international law to prevent people from going missing in the first place and by clarifying the fates of those who have.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“The members of the Mechanism agreed to update existing protocols for the transfer of human remains between Iraq and Kuwait to bring them in line with the respective domestic legal frameworks and best practices. Field missions are being organized by Iraq regularly to explore and excavate sites of interest. Other members of the Mechanism, namely, the United Kingdom, France and the United States, have made significant efforts to provide relevant information in the hope that further research will help identify more grave sites in Iraq and Kuwait. As Chair of the Tripartite Commission, the ICRC is committed to upholding the right of families to receive answers about the fate of their missing loved ones.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“Unfortunately, no human remains were found in the former three locations. There is a lesson to be learned in this breakthrough. The wounds of the missing are deep and long-lasting. When persons go missing, their absence affects the family, the community and the society as a whole. To solve these cases takes time, patience and cooperation among Governments, humanitarian organizations and the families of the missing. But, most important, work on missing persons requires perseverance and determination. It can take years of work to uncover answers and address the cases of the missing. Each one of those individuals is important. We have to stay the course on each one, no matter the time or commitment it might take. The Tripartite Mechanism hopes to continue identifying further remains in future.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“In August the Iraqi authorities handed over 46 boxes and two bags containing those remains, which are currently being processed by the Kuwaiti authorities at their national forensic laboratories. It is a time-consuming process that is expected to last into next year. If a match is found, the remains will be returned to their families. This year, with the support of the ICRC, the human rights directorate of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence carried out further extensive exploration and excavation missions across the southern deserts of Iraq. Based on new and previously available witness information, comparisons with archival records and analyses of satellite imagery, several exploration and excavation missions were carried out in the governorates of Karbala, Dhi Qar and Al-Anbar, in addition to those in Al-Muthanna.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“That breakthrough came about in part due to the recommendations and findings from the ICRC's review project that was completed in July 2017. The project took stock of the situation, involved experts and forensic specialists and proposed recommendations for future work. The review project report and its recommendations were adopted by the Tripartite Commission in December 2018 and have since been used to guide desk- and field- based work deployed to make progress in the search and recovery of further remains of missing persons. Witness information, analysis of satellite imagery and several previous exploration missions led us to Samawah in Al-Muthanna governorate. That is where the breakthrough happened and where human remains were exhumed in March.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“Of those cases 371 were reported missing by Kuwait, 700 by Iraq and nine by Saudi Arabia. Today I am pleased to confirm that, for the first time in 14 years, Kuwaiti remains were recovered. Those remains were recovered in Al-Muthanna, Iraq, in March. The members of the mechanism, with the support of the ICRC, have been conducting excavations since 2003 in both Iraq and Kuwait. Prior to this year, the latest successful exhumation of human remains took place in 2011, which were Iraqi remains found in Kuwait. No remains or burials sites were found for eight years, and it has been 14 years since the most recent recovery of Kuwaiti remains. We had a breakthrough early this year with new information leading to the identification of two mass graves of alleged Kuwaiti citizens.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“Today the Commission and its Technical Subcommittee, with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq serving as an observer and the ICRC as the Chair, aim to trace persons still unaccounted for and provide answers for families. Just over a year ago the ICRC provided the Council with an update on the workings of the Tripartite Commission and the Technical Subcommittee (see S/PV.8324). We reported that, since the founding of the Tripartite Commission, we had helped repatriate more than 75,000 citizens, civilian internees and prisoners of war. Since 2003, once the search for burial sites began in Iraq, and later in Kuwait, the remains of 275 persons in Iraq and 98 persons in Kuwait have been recovered. A total of 1,080 cases of missing persons remain open to date within the framework of the mechanism.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“Mr. Mardini: I thank you, Madam President, for this opportunity to address the Security Council today. We also thank Kuwait for its efforts to ensure that the issue of missing persons is a topic of importance in the Council, as well as in drafting the first resolution on missing persons in armed conflict, adopted in June (resolution 2474 (2019)). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has chaired the Tripartite Commission since its founding in 1991. Following the end of the Gulf War, Iraq, Kuwait and coalition members Saudi Arabia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States created the Commission to search for missing persons.”
2019-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8676 (2019) · source
“To have a positive impact and avoid discrimination, material or financial support must benefit the whole detention system. That also applies to any external interventions, such as bilateral and intergovernmental cooperation initiatives. Above all, detainees must be treated humanely. Inhumane conditions and treatment contradict State obligations and are counterproductive to preventing radicalization and violent extremism. The ICRC stands ready to work with States to ensure humane treatment and conditions for all detainees.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“Moreover, they are imperative. Secondly, making an individualized risk and needs assessment and coupling it with a tailor-made response and follow-up would help to minimize the stigmatization of some groups of detainees. Thirdly, we must ensure that restrictions are legally based, necessary and proportionate. All detainees have the right to essential services and goods such as daily access to the open air, water, food, sanitation facilities, health care and meaningful human interaction, including contact with the family. Fourthly, we should put in place high-quality, trained, supported and supervised detention staff. Fifthly, we must ensure good order and security in detention for all detainees, not just specific groups.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“Such measures include placing detainees assessed as radicalized or at risk of becoming radicalized in isolation; grouping them together in special wings or placing them under strict regimes; reducing access to services and rehabilitation programmes; or submitting them to frequent or repeated transfers. The potential consequences of such measures contradict the aim of protecting the public from acts ofa violent nature. Today I will highlight five key safeguards that, when included in policies, can help to counter or prevent violent extremism or to prevent radicalization in places of detention. First, we should respect the rule of law and treat detainees humanely. Respect for the law and the dignity and protection of the physical and psychological integrity of detainees are the basis of any successful programme in detention.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“Mr. Mardini: I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate today. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is grateful for the opportunity to address the Security Council and share our experience in connection with persons deprived of their liberty. In 2018 alone, the ICRC visited more than 1 million persons in places ofdetention. In our activities we come across programmes whose aim is to prevent or eradicate violent extremism and we see policies described as prevention of radicalization and deradicalization. Some measures targeting detainees accused or convicted of offences related to terrorism can have harmful consequences not only for the detainees themselves but also for the wider detained population and society as a whole.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“For our part, the ICRC will continue to engage with all parties to armed conflict to ensure respect for international humanitarian law. We will continue to lend technical expertise to lawmakers and military officials and to support structures to address sexual violence, including in detention. Let us work together to respond on those three levels - Victim/survivor, community and State. As we mark the seventieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions this year, let us also recall its spirit to uphold human dignity in the midst of armed conflict.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Thirdly, at the State and institutional level, we see challenges arising from the inadequate criminalization of sexual violence and a lack of State and local capacity to respond. Weak chains of command, poor judicial systems and ineffective measures to reduce sexual violence in detention create further obstacles. Together, we must create and safeguard a humanitarian environment that prevents sexual violence. That is possible by establishing adequate normative frameworks, building the capacity of judicial bodies and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law and other bodies of law. The 1949 Geneva Conventions were the first treaties to prohibit rape and other forms of sexual violence in armed conflict.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Secondly, at the community level, we see challenges stemming from the lack of information on available services, deterioration of safety leading to an increased risk of sexual violence, and harmful coping strategies for protection or income generation. We request support for risk reduction. We ask for support for social cohesion among community members or for economic means as alternatives to harmful coping strategies. For the ICRC's part, in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria the communities themselves identify problems, causes, consequences and capacities. Guided by the communities, as experts of their own situation, we work hand in hand with them on the solutions they propose to reduce risk exposure.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“On behalf of the ICRC, a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization, today I wish to outline three levels where there are challenges and opportunities to work together among States, humanitarian actors and other partners. First, at the level of victims and survivors, there is a lack of support in addressing medical care, mental health, shelter, economic insecurity and exclusion. We ask those present in their respective capacities to support such needs and the acceptance of survivors. One concrete request we have is to provide safe and confidential access to health care to prevent further risks to survivors who come forward. For our part, at the level of victims and survivors, the ICRC supports health centres in the Central African Republic and Mali through training, financial and technical assistance.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Mr. Mardini: I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate and all the briefers for their compelling interventions and courageous dedication. In the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with affected communities in armed conflict, sexual violence has been highlighted as a top concern by young women in particular. Other groups have named it among their major fears alongside community tensions, loss of means and displacement. Political attention on sexual violence has been raised to the highest levels. The burning question now is how it can compel a collective response, focusing on the affected population, including those at risk of sexual violence.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“That would be a tangible way to demonstrate their commitment to the 1949 Geneva Conventions in their seventieth anniversary year. Counter-terrorism measures remain a critical issue for the ICRC. Our President, Mr. Peter Maurer, will be here to brief the Council next week and will reiterate the great importance of this matter.”
2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source
“However, the international community must find the right balance between the legitimate concerns of States providing security and the importance of international humanitarian law and impartial humanitarian action. We welcome the efforts to find that balance in the resolution adopted today. The next step is to walk the talk. The commitments to safeguarding humanitarian action in the resolution mean nothing to populations in need if they are not implemented. When States take resolution 2462 (2019) back home and incorporate it into their domestic legal order, we ask that they take effective measures to protect principled humanitarian action and preserve the humanitarian space. We also encourage States to engage with humanitarian organizations to find concrete solutions to this very critical issue.”
2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source
“What is at stake is our ability to cross front lines in order to deliver humanitarian assistance for communities living in areas controlled by armed groups and individuals designated as terrorists. Counter-terrorism measures can have a negative impact on our ability to visit people who have been detained, recover dead bodies, train armed groups on international humanitarian law and facilitate mutual detainee releases and swaps. In short, our ability to carry out our mandate is increasingly hampered. As a consequence, people are suffering at the very moment when international humanitarian law should be protecting them. The ICRC has always condemned violence, including acts of terrorism, against protected persons.”
2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source
“Mr. Mardini: Today the Security Council adopted resolution 2462 (2019), thereby upholding international humanitarian law and protecting principled humanitarian action. It shows that States remain committed to their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensuring that people in need can be reached and protected in times of armed conflict. I am addressing the Council today because the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about the growing impact that counter- terrorism measures can have on impartial humanitarian action. We understand States' legitimate concerns and their need to take necessary measures to ensure security and eliminate terrorism. But certain measures, most notably counter-terrorism legislation and sanctions, can criminalize and restrict humanitarian action.”
2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source
“When there is respect for international humanitarian law, there is a better chance for silencing the guns in Africa and in the world. The ICRC stands ready to support States to achieve that goal.”
2019-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8473 (2019) · source