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Abstract

Resolution 2730 (2024)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 9634th meeting, on 24 May 2024
The Security Council,
Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and, in this context, the need to promote and ensure respect for the rules and principles of international humanitarian law,
Recalling Security Council resolutions 1502 (2003) and 2175 (2014) on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, as well as other relevant resolutions and statements of its President,
Recalling also all relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolutions entitled Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel, and entitled Strengthening the Coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations, including resolution 46/182 on the strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations as well as resolution 59/276 XI entitled Strengthened and unified security management system for the United Nations,
Recalling the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, and the obligations of parties to armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law in all circumstances, and also recalling the obligation of all State Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions to respect and ensure respect for the Conventions in all circumstances,
Recalling that the primary responsibility under international law for the security and protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, lies with the Government hosting humanitarian operations or a United Nations operation conducted under the Charter of the United Nations or its agreements with relevant organizations,
Noting that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the progressive consideration by the Security Council of the protection of civilians in armed conflict as a thematic issue, and acknowledging the enduring need for the Security Council and Member States to redouble efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians in armed conflict and noting the important role played by humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, in conducting humanitarian activities,
Taking note of the contribution of the updated Aide Memoire for the consideration of issues pertaining to the protection of civilians in armed conflict,1
Deeply concerned by continuous disregard for and violations of international humanitarian law,
Gravely concerned about the growing number of attacks, acts of violence, and threats against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, including those involving landmines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices, and the impact of hostilities and violations related to the conduct of hostilities on such personnel, its premises and assets, as well as the adverse impact of such violence on humanitarian activities,
Deeply concerned about the particular vulnerability of national and locally recruited humanitarian personnel to threats and acts of violence, who accounted in recent years for the majority of safety and security incidents, and underscoring the need for concerted efforts and concrete risk mitigation strategies to enhance their safety and security,
Recalling the obligation of all parties to armed conflict to comply with international humanitarian law, in particular their obligations under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the obligations applicable to them under the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977 to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, and that attacks intentionally directed against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to civilians or civilian objects under international humanitarian law, are considered a war crime under international law,
Underlining the obligations of all parties to armed conflict under international humanitarian law related to protecting civilians and civilian objects, which include humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, entitled to such protection, to meeting the basic needs of the civilian population within their territory or under their control, and allowing and facilitating the rapid, safe and unhindered passage of humanitarian relief to all those in need,
Recognizing the role of the United Nations Security Management System and humanitarian organizations’ access, safety and security management systems to enable a stay-and-deliver approach to deliver the most critical programmes, while focusing on effectively managing the risks to which personnel are exposed, even in high-threat environments,
Reaffirming the need for all parties to armed conflict to preserve the ability of humanitarian organizations to act in a manner consistent with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in order to provide their activities to all persons in need and to provide for the protection and safety of those persons and of the humanitarian personnel delivering such humanitarian activities,
Recalling that in line with international humanitarian law impartial humanitarian organizations may offer their services to any party to armed conflict; recognizing the importance of consistent engagement by humanitarian organizations with all parties to armed conflict for humanitarian purposes, including activities aimed at ensuring respect for international humanitarian law and condemning the targeting, killing, harassment, intimidation, reprisal, criminalization, prosecutions, __________________
1 The initial Aide Memoire was adopted on 15 March 2002 in S/PRST/2002/6.
arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detentions of humanitarian personnel for humanitarian activities, gravely concerned with the increase in incidents of violence against humanitarian personnel, United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, in urban conflict settings, and stressing the importance of continuous training, monitoring and adaptation of security risk management measures to protect those delivering humanitarian activities in high-risk environments,
Recognizing with deep appreciation the essential role of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel in conducting humanitarian activities, commending them for operating even in dangerous environments, emphasizing the need to support their health and well-being, and paying tribute to all of them, in particular those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of humanity,
Reaffirming the importance of full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of women in humanitarian and United Nations activities, and the importance of conducting and integrating gender-sensitive assessments when considering the safety and security of personnel, premises and assets,
Expressing deep concern at the exposure of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, to certain forms of crime and acts of intimidation and harassment, including sexual violence and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and equally concerned at the significant number of reported sexual assaults against both male and female United Nations personnel,
Expressing serious concern regarding challenges in bringing to justice those allegedly responsible for the deliberate targeting and other unlawful acts against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, and emphasizing the responsibility of States to comply with their obligations to thoroughly investigate and prosecute persons responsible for serious violations of international law and other international crimes, in order to prevent these crimes, avoid their recurrence and seek sustainable peace, justice, truth and reconciliation, and, in this regard, reaffirming the need to end impunity for serious violations of international humanitarian law and other international crimes, including those involving attacks against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel,
Expressing concern about the increase in malicious information and communication technologies activities, including data breaches, information operations, that target humanitarian organizations, disrupt their relief operations, undermine trust in humanitarian organizations and United Nations activities, and threaten the safety and security of their personnel, premises and assets, and ultimately their access and ability to carry out humanitarian activities,
Noting with concern the increasing threat of disinformation campaigns and misinformation that undermine trust in United Nations and humanitarian organizations and put humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, at risk,
Recognizing that better integration of existing and new technologies, especially digital technologies, can also support the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets,
1. Calls upon all States to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, in accordance with their obligations under international law;
2. Calls upon all States and parties to armed conflict to respect and to ensure respect for applicable international humanitarian law in all circumstances; and recalls the obligations under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols;
3. Demands that all parties to armed conflict fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international human rights law, as applicable, and international humanitarian law; including their obligations related to the respect and protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to civilians or civilian objects under international humanitarian law;
4. Urges all States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying the Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949; and notes that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949;
5. Calls upon all States to consider becoming parties to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and its Optional Protocol, and urges States parties to take steps to enable its effective implementation;
6. Strongly condemns attacks and all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, threats, and intimidation, against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, including humanitarian supplies, facilities and transports, in violation of international humanitarian law; in particular urges parties to armed conflict to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities and refrain from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population;
7. Calls on all parties to armed conflict to end immediately and definitively any indiscriminate use of explosive devices in violation of international humanitarian law, and stresses the need to take appropriate measures to mitigate this danger effectively, including through their clearance and other measures set out in Resolution 2365 (2017);
8. Strongly condemns the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, which impede relief supplies and access for responses to conflict-induced food insecurity in situations of armed conflict, which may constitute violations of international humanitarian law;
9. Urges all parties to armed conflict to allow and facilitate, in a manner consistent with relevant provisions of international humanitarian law, full, safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and to promote the safety, security and freedom of movement of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and the safety and security of their premises and assets;
10. Calls upon all States to ensure the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of female humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, in humanitarian activities, including in decisions related to their safety and security, without any discrimination and to mainstream a gender perspective into humanitarian crises and post-conflict reconstruction activities;
11 Condemns disinformation, information manipulation, and incitement to violence against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, and expresses concern over the impact of misinformation on such personnel;
12. Encourages Member States and the United Nations system to take appropriate action to address the increasing threat of disinformation campaigns and misinformation that undermine trust in United Nations and humanitarian organizations and put humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, at risk and hinder humanitarian activities;
13. Urges States to conduct, in an independent manner, full, prompt, impartial and effective investigations within their jurisdiction of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets and where appropriate, take action against those responsible in accordance with domestic and international law, with a view to reinforcing preventive measures, ensuring accountability and addressing the grievances of victims; further urges States to prosecute persons allegedly responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law; urges States to cooperate with domestic, regional and international courts and tribunals in accordance with States’ respective obligations;
14. Reaffirms the obligation of all humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, to observe and respect the laws of the country in which they are operating, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and underlines the importance for humanitarian organizations to uphold the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in their humanitarian activities;
15. Expresses its determination to take appropriate steps in order to provide for the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, in order for them to be able to fulfill their activities and mandate, including, inter alia, steps taken by the Secretary-General thus far to strengthen partnerships, and encourages further efforts to enhance coordination, cooperation and information-sharing, at both the headquarters and field levels, between States, the United Nations, regional organizations and humanitarian organizations, including non-governmental organizations, on matters relating to the safety and security of such personnel and their premises and assets, with a view to addressing mutual security concerns in the field, and in this regard requests States to share information, monitor and investigate attacks against such personnel and their premises and assets and to share challenges and good practices in this regard;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to:
(a) Provide the Security Council, based on reported attacks, including intimidation, detention, harassment and bodily harm against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, within six months, with recommendations on measures to prevent and respond to incidents of the kind described in the above paragraphs, to ensure accountability and enhance the protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets;
(b) Provide a briefing to the Security Council on this matter, including on the challenges, opportunities, and progress made toward further enhancing protection, the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, as a core part of the stay-and-deliver strategy, no later than 12 months after the adoption of this resolution and on a yearly basis thereafter;
(c) Continue to provide, as part of his regular reporting on country-specific situations and other relevant reports which address the protection of civilians, information on the issue of the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets, including recording specific acts of violence against such personnel, remedial actions taken to prevent similar incidents and actions taken to identify and hold accountable those who commit such acts, and to provide the Security Council with recommendations on measures to prevent similar incidents, ensure accountability and enhance the safety and security of such personnel;
(d) Report swiftly to the Council when widespread issues regarding the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, United Nations and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets occur, and expresses its intention to give its full attention to such information provided by the Secretary‑General when those situations are brought to its attention.