Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
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The issue of protection of civilians is on the Security Council’s agenda as one of the key elements for the resolution of armed conflicts and the maintenance international peace and security as a whole. Unfortunately, cruelty and disdain for human life are characteristic of a number of contemporary armed conflicts. Civilians are killed and maimed by the indiscriminate use of force or deliberate attacks, and subjected to torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment and punishment and to various forms of violence. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham and other groups allied to that criminal terrorist structure, which are running rampant in Iraq, Syria and other countries, are committing horrific atrocities against civilians, including women and children.

The protection of civilians remains the priority responsibility of the parties to a conflict. An important role in the success of national efforts in that sphere can be played by assistance to Governments from the international community. Military response is possible only with the authorization of the Security Council and in strict compliance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. We agree with the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations,and the Secretary-General on the need for political dialogue as a priority instrument in settling conflict situations, including in the context of the protection of civilians. We consider that task to be one of the elements of the activities of United Nations peacekeeping missions mandated under Chapter VII of the Charter.

Key benchmarks in that sphere should be the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of the United Nations peacemaking. We cannot agree with the periodic calls for their flexible interpretation, depending on changing circumstances on the ground, above all in the context of the use of force by Blue Helmets. Undoubtedly, what is unacceptable is any crime against civilians by peacekeepers themselves, such as the egregious cases of sexual violence that have surfaced in recent months.

We attach great importance to the establishment of conditions conducive to the proper and timely provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need. We note the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations in that sphere. The Council has repeatedly called on parties to armed conflict to unswervingly abide by the provisions of international humanitarian law with regard to respect for and protection of humanitarian and medical personnel working in armed conflict zones. Nevertheless, the situation in that sphere leaves much to be desired, and the lives and well-being of those who provide assistance to victims continue to be exposed to unwarranted threats. In October 2015, dozens of people were killed in an air strike on a hospital run by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Médecins Sans Frontières in Kunduz. Very recently, an air strike was also carried out on a medical centre run by the same NGO in Yemen.

Contemporary armed conflicts are accompanied by the massive displacement of civilians. The unprecedented increase in the number of people who have been forced to leave their homes — the largest number since since the Second World War— and the continuous rise in humanitarian needs is a serious test of the United Nations mettle.

It will be possible to overcome the modern migratory and humanitarian crises caused largely by conflicts provoked from outside in the Middle East and North Africa only through political settlement and the socioeconomic stabilization of situations in migrant countries of origin. Special attention needs to be given to issues of providing and protecting their rights in host countries, taking into account the specifics and traditions of various cultures and religions, and ensuring that forced migrants are not automatically equated with potential terrorists.

The guarantee for success in sparing civilians the brunt of the suffering caused by conflicts in their midst lies in unflinching compliance with the Charter of the United Nations, the norms of international humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as in eschewing politicized, selective and unilateral approaches to that issue. Only in that way will the decisions taken be truly effective and ensure genuine protection for civilians during armed conflict.

One cannot help noting that the importance and relevance of the theme of protecting civilians, and its often highly emotional resonance, makes its susceptible to unscrupulous exploitation for dubious political ends. Unfortunately, that has happened today. Clearly, the thinking is that using this discussion as a vehicle to trot out another slew of unsubstantiated accusations against Russia will give it some kind of legitimacy.

Civilians, including women and children, make up a significant part of those who have died and been injured as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. That is the tragic result of the refusal in 2014 by the Kyiv authorities to engage in dialogue with the East and their attempt to resolve the problem by carrying out a mass military operation that they cynically dubbed “counter-terrorist”. The solemn vow made by President of Ukraine on 1 July 2014 never to use force against civilians and not to target residential areas was followed by mass shelling of settlements in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, and the number of civilians continues to grow with each passing day. Kyiv’s continued economic blockade of the region continues to take its toll on the region.

The most reliable way to end the suffering of residents in the Donbas is the timely settlement of the crisis on the basis of the clear implementation of all provisions of the Minsk agreements. The parties to the conflict, above all the Ukrainian authorities, must find the political will to implement the decisions enshrined in the Minsk package of measures.