Topic: Protecting Humanitarian Workers in Conflict Zones
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Brooke Michelson
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Italy position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Recently, violent attacks against humanitarian workers have been increasingly occurring in zones of conflict. Though international law aims to protect these workers as laid out in the UN Security Council resolution 1502 as well as the Geneva convention of 1949, attacks in non-state conflicts by non-state parties occur in great numbers, and the state may have little control over the circumstances or the protection of these individuals. The three conflict zones that have been most dangerous for humanitarian workers, most notably from NGO’s and UN local contractors, are Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan and incidents in these zones alone account for 60% of all violent acts against humanitarian workers. In 2008, there were more humanitarian aid worker deaths from violent acts than there were deaths of UN peacekeeping troops. At the heart of the issue is political tension, and the tendency for the NGO’s or humanitarians to be seen by those in conflict as part of western political aggression.
The Italian Republic is deeply troubled by the increase of fatalities in this tragic issue. We work closely with NATO, the EU, and many UN bodies to focus humanitarian aid globally, whether through support of NGO’s or direct aid itself. In 2009 we were the world’s eleventh biggest donor of assistance, with 3.31 billion USD in aid given, representing .16% of our GNI that year. We fully condemn the wasting of these efforts and the efforts by all of our partners in peace, by violent acts against those simply aiming to help. If we, as a global community, are going to move towards safety for these individuals and their groups, we must look at their protection from every angle, and ensure we get to the heart of the cause of these violent attacks.
The Italian Republic sees many facets to decreasing the violence against humanitarian workers. One way to move towards safety and protection is to ensure that all humanitarian workers are properly equipped with safety gear, trained in self-defense, and also knowledgeable about the conflict zone and the dangers present there. While these measures are important, they are also reactionary. Perhaps the most important measure is a proactive one: to examine and focus on the perception of the NGO’s, UN local contractors, their employees, and their work within the conflict zone, by those in conflict. It is the responsibility of the nation and of each individual group to focus on explaining the goals and understanding the needs, allowing those in conflict to voice opinions and ask questions peacefully. Striking at the heart of the lack of understanding and the blind hatred for these peaceful workers and reversing those preconceived notions is the only way to fully ensure their safety. The Italian Republic urges this committee to work quickly and responsibly to move towards rectifying this grave issue.
