Veleposlanik Ranko Vilovic, privremeni otpravnik poslova Stalne misije RH pri Ujedinjenim narodima, održao je govor na javnoj raspravi Vijeca sigurnosti UN-a o zaštiti civila u oružanim sukobima.
Mr. President,
At the outset, I wish to thank you and the Turkish Presidency for organizing this debate on the protection of civilians during armed conflict. I would also like to thank the Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes for his important briefing.
Croatia has aligned itself with the statement of the European Union to be delivered later by the representative of the Czech Republic. I should like here to make some specific points.
Mr. President,
Battles of the past were largely conduced in battle fields. The middle of the last century marked a turning point in the nature of contemporary conflict, especially as it relates to civilians. The last century was witnesses to such distressing phenomena as ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide, for which we unfortunately have too many examples. This abhorrent practice, this new manner in waging war, is something that the international community must continue to address, as complacency in tackling this challenge may well equal complicity.
As a point of departure we would like to highlight once again the Geneva Conventions, which lie at the core of the international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians. This Council has on numerous occasions reaffirmed its commitment to protect those most vulnerable in armed conflict, and repeatedly condemned systematic and widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law against civilians, most recently in our January debate on this very issue. The revised Aide Memoiré adopted at that time provides valuable guidance for Council action, integrating the many different aspects of the protection of civilians.
There continues to be a humanitarian imperative that all states be bound by the very real need to reduce human costs in armed conflict, in particular the imperative to uphold the rights of civilians. The Council can and has pronounced itself on these issues and can impose targeted measures and individual sanctions against individuals responsible for grievous violations of humanitarian law and human rights.
Recent normative and methodological advancements have allowed us to increasingly bring to light the plight of women and children, especially young girls, in armed conflict, as well as to address certain types of weapons.
Yet despite the advances made in implementing IHL and the work being done by a plethora of actors on these issues, Croatia is concerned by the heavy toll that civilians in many conflict areas around the world continue to be bear. This year alone our discussions on this subject were held against the distressing backdrop of the suffering of civilians in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Somalia or Gaza.
In situations where prevention has failed, national governments need to be held accountable for arresting and prosecuting those who have committed grave crimes, as the primary responsibility for protecting civilians lies with the parties to an armed conflict.
If governments fail to investigate, prosecute and adequately punish violations of international humanitarian law committed by members of their own armed forces or committed on their territory, recourse to the International Criminal Court can and should be considered. This is where the Security Council can play an important role, as was the case with the referral to the ICC of the situation in Darfur.
Mr. President,
Last year at the open debate on the protection of civilians Croatia called for more consistent attention by the Security Council on this issue. We were pleased to find that over the past year important progress has been made. The Council has agreed to negotiate the expansion of triggers for children in armed conflict and also adopted resolution 1820 [2008] on sexual violence in armed conflict, and we are looking forward to the upcoming report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1820.
We are also looking forward to the issuance of the OCHA/DPKO study on how UN missions can contribute more when it comes to the protection of civilians. While we acknowledge that many peacekeeping operations have strong provisions in their mandates on the protection of civilians, which we salute, and often act in close cooperation with the UNHCR, UNICEF and UNHCHR on the ground, more attention needs to be given on the implementation of these provisions, including on possible lessons learned from varying situations.
Croatia is concerned about reported cases where governments or armed groups are denying access to humanitarian assistance. Preventing food and other supplies from reaching civilians, especially children, desperately waiting for assistance has in many cases developed into another deplorable method of war. We strongly condemn attacks on humanitarian personnel and we urge all parties to a conflict to ensure their safety.
When we talk about civilians in armed conflicts, let us not forget that many of them have ended up with disabilities, both physical and psychological. We should intensify our efforts to help them live a dignified life, especially during the delicate time of post-conflict peace-building.
Mr. President,
We are on a good path to addressing the many challenges that still lay ahead of us. We have a good basis and practice on which we can build upon, including on how to be more systematic in our approaches to protection issues. When we make decisions and adopt resolutions in this Council we should therefore also ask ourselves what impact they will have for civilians on the ground. Let us use the power we have in order to be advocates for those who have no voice. In the end, this is the best legacy we can leave for both them and ourselves.
Thank you.
Priopćenja
