00:00Colleagues, I am very honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of 116 delegations
00:06committed to upholding humanity and safeguarding civilian lives.
00:11And I cannot read all the countries here, but we have lists and we will certainly publish
00:16it on a website and certainly are grateful to each and every country who has co-signed.
00:23Let me begin by paying tribute to all humanitarian and UN personnel from the front line to this
00:29very building. Whether you are working for a local NGO or for a major international organisation,
00:36locally recruited or deployed as an international staff, your work and your dedication is essential
00:43to safe lives and to alleviate the suffering of millions of people around the world.
00:49You serve tirelessly and courageously under extremely challenging conditions. Today, we
00:54just heard that there are over 120 armed conflicts around the world. Humanitarian needs are on
01:00the rise, and so is violence against humanitarian and UN personnel. This is unacceptable.
01:07In 2023, more than 500 humanitarian workers were killed, injured, detained or kidnapped
01:13around the world. National staff constitute the vast majority, more than 90% of those
01:19affected. And the developments in 2024 are even more alarming. Gaza and the West Bank
01:26are the most dangerous places on earth to be an aid worker, with over 150 humanitarian
01:32personnel killed since the start of the year. Other contexts having recorded the highest
01:37number of casualties are Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South
01:44Sudan. These alarming trends coincide with the year where we marked the 75th anniversary
01:50of the Geneva Conventions and the 25th anniversary of the Security Council, recognising the protection
01:56of civilians as part of its agenda. These milestones must serve as a call to action.
02:02As members of the United Nations and of the international community at large, we must
02:07join our forces to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.
02:13And we heeded the call. Six months ago, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2730 on
02:19the protection of humanitarian personnel and UN and associated personnel, including national
02:24and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets. We reiterate our support
02:31for this resolution and call for its immediate implementation by all actors.
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