Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
russiaun.ru

Since this is the first official meeting of the Security Council in May, we would like to start by thanking the delegation of China for its skilful and effective leadership as President during the month of April. We would also like to congratulate our Egyptian colleagues on the start of their presidency, and wish them every success this month.

We welcome the initiative to convene this meeting and wish to thank the Secretary-General, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr. Peter Maurer, and the International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, Ms. Joanne Liu, for their participation in this meeting and their contribution to this discussion.

Protecting humanitarian personnel, including medical personnel, is one of the most important aspects of the whole issue of protecting civilians. The provision of medical assistance to those affected by armed conflict has become not only one of the most sorely needed activities, but also one of the most dangerous. The Security Council has more than once called on parties to armed conflict to comply strictly with the provisions of international humanitarian law and to take all necessary steps to ensure the security of those who provide humanitarian and medical assistance to affected populations. This idea is also invoked in resolution 2286 (2016), which we have just adopted. There is no doubt that we need to consider this issue in the broader context of conflict resolution and of the tasks facing the Security Council in this area.

In examining the issue of the security of medical facilities and personnel, all United Nations bodies, including, of course, the Security Council, must be guided by fully verified, reliable information. In this context, it is particularly important that the reports of the Secretary-General to be submitted in accordance with the resolution we have just adopted include only verified and reliable information. It is unacceptable that unverified reports of attacks against hospitals taken from unreliable sources are fed to the media and then used for political pressure for short-term objectives. In particular, we are not able to corroborate the accusations levelled against the Russian air force of violations of international humanitarian law in Syria.

The key responsibility for protecting humanitarian personnel and other individuals entitled to special protection under the Geneva Convention of 1949 lies with the parties to armed conflict, which have the primary responsibility for ensuring the protection of the civilian population. However, we occasionally witness brutal disregard for the norms of international law, which stipulate that hospitals that provide assistance to those who are suffering can under no circumstances be the targets of attacks. To this can be added the dispiriting numbers of murders, attacks and abductions against medical workers carried out by terrorist organizations, especially the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham.

What is particularly unacceptable is when medical personnel suffer at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them. Late last year, for example, owing to the indiscriminate use of force, Médecins Sans Frontières hospitals were damaged in different cities of Yemen. In October 2015, there was an air strike against a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz, in Afghanistan, and similar attacks have occurred in other countries.

So far we have not been able to significantly improve the security of humanitarian and medical personnel, including doctors, who are working in dangerous conditions. Against this backdrop, additional efforts must be made by States Members of the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to strengthen mechanisms aimed at ensuring the protection of such personnel.

We must also remember the high degree of responsibility that medical personnel bear vis-à-vis society. Often people’s lives depend on their work. An important precondition for the effective protection of humanitarian organizations and medical staff is compliance with the guiding principles of international humanitarian cooperation, as enshrined in the resolutions of the General Assembly. These include respect for sovereignty, neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence. There is no doubt that medical workers who find themselves in conflict areas must respect the laws and customs of the host country and strictly adhere to the ethics and standards of the medical profession. Abiding by these rules will help ensure that medical workers are able to carry out their tasks in a well-defined, effective and safe manner.