Topic: Protecting Humanitarian Workers in Conflict Zones
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Karigan Pliml
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Ukraine position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Ukraine is alarmed by the unsafe conditions of humanitarian workers in areas of conflict, such as the lack of protection for the physical safety of workers and the lack of safely consumable food or water. As a member of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Executive Board and the Bureau of UN-Women, Ukraine is noting with deep concern and paying great importance to the fact that humanitarian workers and civilians account for a high number of casualties in conflict zones. Ukraine has aligned itself with the Statement of the European Union (EU) by H.E. Mr. Pedro Serrano, Acting Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations on 10 May 2011. Mr. Pedro Serrano stresses that “compliance with and respect for international humanitarian law needs to be reinforced, as it also contributes to securing and sustaining humanitarian space, and guaranteeing safe and unhindered access for humanitarian operations and humanitarian workers to populations in need”. This statement of the EU is in regard to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which stresses the necessity of reinforcing international humanitarian law, sustaining humanitarian working space, and securing the safety of humanitarian workers and operations. The European Union has provided and raises awareness for International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the European Commission adopted the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. This was a declaration to prompt action in cases of need during times of conflict. It aims to do so by creating an understanding of humanitarian workers’ need for protection and making certain that the importance of coordination is understood as well.
Ukraine supports the three main steps the EU undertakes to ensure the protection of aid workers—emergency aid (money for basic needs), food aid, and aid for refugees—and further supports compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL). As stated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), IHL protects those in areas of conflict that do not participate in combat. It attempts to lessen the impact of war, protects those who do not fight (civilians, humanitarian workers, refugees, surrendered enemy, ect.), and restricts weapons and tactics of war that may harm the environment, or harm people with no justification behind the attack. Ukraine realizes that violations to IHL have threatened the safety of humanitarian workers and civilians and that the United Nations should devote its attention to reinforcing IHL and securing the safety of the workers. Improvements in communications that track aid at a government level of organization and improvements in the development of a standard protection protocol with a set date of compliance by all UN members can reaffirm general compliance with international humanitarian law. The United Nations should also take steps to explore alternate solutions to the current system of transportation of aid workers, as the majority of attacks and ambushes occur on the road. These solutions should incorporate guards or an armed convoy to protect workers traveling along the road.
Iceland, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Moldova, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Georgia has each aligned itself with the statement of the European Union at the Security Council debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Sudan and Somalia are likely to oppose Ukraine on account of their current reluctance to accept humanitarian assistance.
Works Cited
ICRC. Advisory Service. International Humanitarian Law. What Is International Humanitarian Law? ICRC, Aug. 2004. Web.
Lysiak-Rudnytsky, Ivan. "Nationalism." Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Web.
Serrano, Pedro. "EU@UN – EU Statement – United Nations Security Council: Situation in Somalia." European Union @ United Nations. European Union, 14 Sept. 2011. Web.
Stoddard, Abby, Adele Harmer, and Victoria DiDomenico. "Providing Aid in Insecure Environments: Trends in Violence against Aid Workers and the Operational Response (2009 Update) – Resources – Overseas Development Institute (ODI)." Overseas Development Institute (ODI) – The UK's Leading Independent Think Tank on International Development and Humanitarian Issues. ODI, Apr. 2009. Web.
Ukraine. UN. Security Council. "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict" By Yuriy Sergeyev,. United Nations, 10 May 2011. Web.
UNESCO. International Migration and Multicultural Policies Section. UNESCO Series of Country Reports on the Ratification of the UN Convention on Migrant. The Protection of the Rights of Migrants Workers in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS and Perspectives of Joining the 1990 UN Convention. By Zayonchkovskaya. UNESCO, 1 July 2004. Web.
