Statement | Response to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres annual report on civilian protection

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres published his annual report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on May 18, 2022. Humanity & Inclusion's Advocacy Director, Anne Héry, welcomed the report, and provided the following response:  

“We warmly welcome UNSC annual report who recognizes the ‘urgent need’ for parties to conflict to ‘avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas’. Antonio Guterres also acknowledges the ‘reverberating effects on essential services such as water, sanitation, electricity and health care’ caused by bombing and shelling in populated area. In the report, António Guterres expresses its supports for ‘continuing efforts towards a political declaration to address this problem’: ‘Such a declaration should include a clear commitment by States to avoid the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas’. After two years of diplomatic process, discussions continue on the text of a political declaration against bombing in populated areas; We are now a few weeks way from a final version. António Guterres’ Statement should be an incentive for any States to support a strong and ambitious political declaration that would concretely protect civilians from the harms caused by bombing and shelling in urban areas.”