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Security Council – Open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts

Security Council Open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.

25 May 2022

Statement of the Permanent Representative of Italy, Amb. Maurizio Massari.

 

Thank you Mister President,

Italy is pleased to join the Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, which comes at a critical point for the protection of civilians. The unjustified and unprovoked aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine adds up to several ongoing conflicts all over the world.

Italy aligns itself with the statements delivered by the European Union and by the Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts. We also would like to thank the Secretary-General for his annual report on the Protection of civilians.

As stated in UNSC Resolution 2573, approved only a year ago and co-sponsored by Italy, all parties to armed conflicts should distinguish between civilian population and objectives, on one hand, and combatants and military objectives, on the other. Nonetheless, just a few weeks ago, sixty people died in the region of Luhansk where a school was bombarded by the Russian army. This is only one last example of how cities have sadly become the battlefields of our time and of how civilians and civilian infrastructures are frequently targeted.

We are particularly concerned about the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas. We therefore support the ongoing negotiations in Geneva aimed to introducing a political declaration to ban their use.

Mister President,

it is crucial to find ways to guarantee the full respect of international humanitarian law, and to ensure safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to the population in need.

Too many times we have agreed on universal principles to protect civilians and save lives. We cannot allow that the important resolutions remain empty words. We need to discuss and find practical solutions. Let me raise three points as “food for thoughts” for further reflection.

First, if and when the Council is not able to agree on a ceasefire, the UN should be able to quickly step in at least to allow humanitarian corridors and humanitarian access, fully abiding by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence and humanity. In this sense, the evacuation mechanism established in Mariupol, thanks to the coordination efforts of the UN and ICRC, is a clear example of how the International Humanitarian Law cannot be left to the mere spontaneous initiative of armed and non-armed groups. Italy supports a more proactive role of the UN in fostering international humanitarian obligations and in monitoring their implementation.

The addition of a new ad hoc protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions might provide a normative framework, specific for such UN coordination mechanism focused on humanitarian corridors and humanitarian access. It would also spur a reinforced international commitment toward the protection of civilians.

Second, from a national perspective, it is of paramount importance that the protection of civilians be prioritized in the planning and execution of all military operations and be enshrined in all national military guidelines. Providing combatants with targeted training on humanitarian access and humanitarian corridors can have indeed a positive effect on IHL compliance.

Third, Italy strongly believes that the presence of women personnel in the military too can have a significantly positive impact on the protection of civilians. Women have proved to be successful in creating trust, which is at the core of agreed humanitarian access and corridors.

Mister President,

Let me conclude by emphasizing a final cornerstone of the protection of civilians: accountability. In this perspective, Italy calls on the international community to guarantee accountability for the perpetrators of severe breaches of IHL. We reaffirm our full support for the work of independent international and domestic investigative institutions to avert any form of impunity.