Checked Against Delivery
Thank you, Chair,
And further thanks to the briefers.
The necessity to uphold international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in situations of armed conflict is a key priority for Denmark during our Council term.
International law is not optional, it is not a “nice to have”. It does not just apply when it is convenient.
Yet, it is routinely violated. Often without consequences for the perpetrator and with devastating effects for civilians in conflict including children, marginalised groups, healthcare workers and humanitarians, and others it was designed to protect.
Chair,
To ensure compliance and strengthen accountability more is needed.
First, Member States who fail to uphold international law must be loudly and publicly called upon to do so by the international community.
Further support for independent investigations, cooperation with international accountability mechanisms, and engagement in new initiatives to move the agenda forward is needed.
Second, we must shine a light on failures to protect civilians as mandated under international humanitarian law as well as thematic Security Council resolutions.
This is why Denmark organised an Arria-formula meeting to mark the ten-year anniversary of resolution 2286 on the protection of medical care in armed conflict and to identify issues that remained outstanding. We are firmly committed to further advancing this agenda, including through a renewed commitment to the special protected status of medical missions, reflecting the need for greater recognition of new and emergent threats, as well as better reporting, monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
Furthermore, as informal co-focal point on resolution 2417, we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to stopping conflict induced hunger, from Sudan to Gaza. This is also why we hosted a ministerial signature event on this issue during our presidency last month.
Third, individuals responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide must be held to account. The International Criminal Court plays an essential role in this regard and to uphold international law we should strengthen the international criminal justice system. As we have stated many times in this Council, accountability for the gravest crimes is not only a matter of justice for victims, it is, in fact, an essential safeguard against future atrocities.
Thank you.
