Uphold promise to protect civilians caught in conflict: Guterres
UN NewsMay 23, 2023
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, warned the Security Council that "the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect civilians" as the UN recorded a 53% increase in civilian deaths last year compared to 2021, with nearly 17K civilian casualties recorded across 12 conflicts.
In his address to the Security Council, Guterres urged the Council members — citing civilian casualties in Ukraine and Sudan, schools destroyed in Ethiopia, and damage to water infrastructure in Syria — to fulfill their commitments documented in international humanitarian legal systems.
The international community must step up its efforts to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and preserve peace by finding political solutions to war. Civilians have suffered the deadly effects of armed conflict for too long — this report is a call for action to break the deadly cycle of armed conflict and hunger.
While the UN Security Council promised to protect civilians in armed conflicts over two decades ago, most of its permanent members have played a part in aggravating civilian suffering — with some indiscriminately bombing hospitals, schools, and homes. Unfortunately, almost all permanent members continue to export arms to warring countries, aiding in war crimes and fueling the world's worst humanitarian crises.
There is a 22% chance there will be a "World War Three" before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.