Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
The world is in turmoil: geopolitical divisions and tensions are mounting, increasing (re)militarization of economies and societies are leading to a growing climate of preparation for wars that extends beyond major powers to those in their orbit.
In parallel, we see new conflicts arising and armed actors multiplying while political settlements for existing conflicts remain elusive. In 2024, over 120 armed conflicts are tearing apart communities affecting millions of people.
In 2024, we recorded no less than 455 armed groups of humanitarian concern. In 2024, more than 210 million people are living in areas under the control of non-state armed groups often remaining cut off from essential services and further deepening their vulnerability.
The proliferation of armed conflicts, coupled with increasingly permissive interpretations of IHL continue to have an unacceptable cost, creating immense suffering, extensive loss of life and ever-growing humanitarian needs. Harmful information poses an additional threat to persons affected by conflict and exposes humanitarian action to significant security and safety risks.
Against the backdrop of this grim reality, the ICRC has three urgent calls:
First, we urgently ask your support to help secure adequate humanitarian space in today’s conflicts. Calls for humanitarian access are too often used as a way for warring parties to evade / deflect from their primary responsibilities to respond to the needs of the population on the territories they control. Too often, parties to conflict are diverting the attention towards the issue of access of humanitarian assistance as a primary concern – thereby putting the onus on humanitarians rather than on fulfilling their own responsibilities notably towards the population under their control.
We also see a trend to increasingly condition humanitarian access to a negotiated ceasefire / cessation of hostilities. Let’s be clear: humanitarian access should not be blocked until a political agreement is reached or cessation of hostilities are agreed upon. It is an imperative, and a clear obligation. Even more so when we see how means and methods of warfare have exacerbated the level of destruction and damage. Today, it only takes a few hours to destroy an entire city, but decades to repair or rebuild it.
In the Pact for the Future, the international community committed to protect all civilians in armed conflict and for people affected by armed conflict to receive assistance. We call for these commitments to be put in practice.
Second, the dangerously elastic interpretation of international humanitarian law rules and obligations we are witnessing urgently requires all states to reaffirm their commitment to IHL, in words and in deeds. It is not enough to quote IHL; it is now more necessary than ever to uphold, promote and defend an IHL that is interpreted in a way that allows it to serve its purpose. Warring parties and their allies must not shy away from this moral, ethical and legal necessity, or hide behind exceptionalism. IHL is not a justification for destruction and killings, it’s the last lifeline of humanity in the chaos of war.
It is the ICRC’s conviction that this trend can and must be reversed. We know from working on frontlines that when IHL is respected, lives are saved, and human dignity preserved. Compliance with the rules of war is possible, if there is political will to put into practice what is outlined in the Geneva Conventions. In many conflicts, warring parties have chosen to respect IHL, have shown that respect for IHL is possible, that military and civilian victims of war can be protected. While these instances of respect are far too few, they are significant, and they can inspire and guide us in persevering in our work towards better respect for IHL by all parties in all conflicts.
Firmly convinced of the urgent need to do better, the ICRC, along with 6 States, launched the Global IHL initiative to galvanize States’ commitment towards IHL. We call on all States to join this initiative.
Third, digital threats to civilians and new technologies must be adequately addressed. In situations of armed conflict, access to digital technology, including that powered by artificial intelligence, can save lives. However, the digitalization of armed conflict also brings new threats for civilians. The malicious use of digital technologies and the spreading of harmful information is increasingly destabilizing societies and aggravating vulnerabilities among the civilian population.
Digital technologies permeate our lives, and cyber and information operations are no longer abstract or "only online". We call on parties to armed conflict to comply with their legal obligations, and assess, prevent, or mitigate the harm that their operations may cause to civilians, civilian infrastructure and other protected persons.
New and emerging technologies are also changing the way armed conflicts are fought making them more complex. The use of cyber operations in conjunction with traditional weapons, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in weapons systems and decision-making, feature prominently in discussions on the evolution of warfare.
Together with the secretary-general of the United Nations, the ICRC has called on states to urgently negotiate and conclude by 2026 a treaty regulating autonomous weapon systems. We repeat that call here.
By better securing humanitarian space, by properly interpreting IHL, and by addressing new threats in armed conflict, we have the chance to improve the lives of millions.
Thank you.
