联合国文件/第594部分 (共1000部分)

There can be no excuse for inaction when thousands of civilians are dying every week as a result of armed conflict.

It is clear that despite the existing legal framework for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which was further strengthened last year by the adoption of resolution 1674 (2006), serious gaps remain in the practical implementation of agreed norms and principles, including the responsibility to protect.

We welcome and support the intention of the Secretary-General to initiate a discussion among United Nations Members on how to translate that core principle of humanity and human solidarity, which our leaders endorsed at the 2005 World Summit, into concrete action on a global, regional and national level.

In that respect, we were encouraged during last week's discussions between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa and Accra by the level of commitment on the part of the African Union to deal with the issue of protecting civilians in armed conflict through greater involvement in peacekeeping and mediation efforts in various crisis situations on the continent.

We believe that the partnership, consultations and dialogue between the United Nations and regional organizations on these issues should be further strengthened and expanded, in line with the joint communiqué of the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.

Through joint action, we must find more efficient ways to deal with humanitarian crises such as that in Darfur, where civilians continue to suffer and die every day.

With respect to Darfur, which is the site of one of the world's most grave crises and humanitarian situations, Slovakia welcomes the recent agreement that will, we hope, lead both to rapid and successful deployment of the African Union-United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur and to improved protection of civilians in the region from violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

In that regard, we call upon the Government of the Sudan to facilitate deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force and to allow the monitoring and investigation of crimes, including active cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

In addition, we hope that the recent discussion between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council will contribute to closer cooperation and interaction between the United Nations and the African Union in addressing the increased humanitarian suffering of civilians in the Central African Republic, eastern Chad and Somalia, as well as the consequences of criminal activities by the Lord's Resistance Army in the Great Lakes region.

However, we must not forget about people in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East and Afghanistan, where the numbers of attacks on innocent civilians — employing the most vicious killing tactics and terrorist acts, including the use of chlorine — are increasing day by day.

We agree with Mr. Holmes that that trend is profoundly worrying.

It must be addressed through effective action by all regional and global stakeholders in order to contain it.

We are concerned about the level of impunity with respect to grave violations of humanitarian law and atrocities committed against civilians in armed conflicts.

I would like to underline that we are especially concerned about the direct involvement of Government military and security forces and institutions in such criminal activities.

In that regard, Slovakia stresses the need for strict application of a zero-tolerance policy with respect to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Impunity for such crimes is unacceptable, and we must make sure that the perpetrators of criminal acts are brought to justice.

In situations where national judicial authorities — who have the primary responsibility for bringing the perpetrators of crimes to justice — are not fully capable or, in some cases, unwilling to address violations of international humanitarian law, Slovakia will continue to support active engagement by the international community, including through international and “mixed” tribunals, the International Criminal Court and, when necessary, applicable targeted measures by the Council in ensuring respect for humanitarian and human rights law.

We are also concerned about the increasing number of deliberate attacks against United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian workers providing assistance to civilian populations, as well as attacks against media personnel.

In that respect, we strongly condemn acts such as the recent killing of a staff member of Médecins Sans Frontières in the Central African Republic and of two Lebanese Red Cross workers at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, the brutal killing of a Radio Okapi national reporter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and attacks against humanitarian personnel and piracy threatening relief deliveries to Somalia.

We support all necessary steps and actions by the international community to protect humanitarian personnel, to establish safe corridors allowing for full and unhindered humanitarian access and to provide basic security for the work of the media, including through full implementation of last year's Security Council resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1738 (2006).

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to all humanitarian organizations for their relentless efforts and to express our sympathy to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of peace and humanitarian relief.

Ms. Pierce (United Kingdom): I wish to align myself with the statement to be made later this morning by the presidency of the European Union.

I would like to thank the Under-Secretary-General for his thought-provoking presentation.

It is not acceptable that even now, in the twenty-first century, violent conflict impacts most severely on the civilian population.