联合国：恪守承诺 保护冲突中的平民
安全理事会第9327次会议
联合国安理会五月轮值主席国瑞士早些时候组织高级别公开辩论，主题是“确保冲突中平民的安全和尊严：解决粮食不安全问题和保护基本服务”。据联合国统计，2022年全年，武装冲突造成了大量人员伤亡，削弱了复原力，并使余下的基本基础设施和服务不堪重负。在许多武装冲突中都有报告平民伤亡、强迫失踪、酷刑、强奸和虐待等情况。
痛苦与愤怒
联合国秘书长古特雷斯出席辩论并发言指出，国际社会需切实履行其保护陷入冲突中平民的承诺及国际人道法义务，确保平民免受战乱之苦。去年，部署在人口稠密地区的爆炸性武器造成的受害者中，平民占比高达94%。2022年，全球超过1.17亿人面临严重饥饿，战争和不安全等因素是首要原因，古特雷斯称平民在冲突中所处的悲惨境地令人“愤怒”。
古特雷斯表示，平民长期遭受武装冲突的致命影响。现在是我们履行保护他们的承诺的时候了，并呼吁采取行动，“打破武装冲突和饥饿的致命循环”。
据古特雷斯秘书长日前提交的《武装冲突中保护平民》的最新报告，全世界目前有100多场武装冲突，平均冲突持续时间超过30年，在此背景下平民继续忍受着深重和持久的苦难。与往年一样，2022年的武装冲突导致了伤亡、强迫失踪、酷刑、强奸和其他痛苦和损失。
对关键基础设施的破坏产生了深远的后果，包括电力、卫生保健、供水和环卫服务中断，并导致许多民众无法获得生活必需品。粮食、燃料和化肥价格上涨加上气候变化的影响，进一步使平民的需求变得更加紧迫。被迫流离失所的人数达到新高。人道主义组织在努力减轻人们痛苦时面临多种障碍，包括暴力、官僚障碍以及粮食和药品等重要物资短缺。
上下滑动阅读
古特雷斯秘书长在安理会的发言
Mr. President, President Berset, Excellencies.
I thank the Government of Switzerland for convening this important debate. And President Spoljaric for joining us.
Mr. President,
Less than six weeks have passed since war erupted in Sudan. In that time:
Hundreds of civilians have been killed – including members of the United Nations family;
250,000 people have fled the country;
Hospitals have been occupied and attacked;
The price of goods is reported to have quadrupled in parts of the country;
And aid warehouses have been looted on a massive scale.
Terrible as this picture is, it is far from unique.
My report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in 2022 shows that war is devastating lives around the world.
Explosive weapons continue to wreak havoc:
Last year, 94 per cent of their victims in populated areas were civilians.
Those able to flee the fighting did so in record numbers:
The total number forced from their homes due to conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution reached 100 million.
Health facilities and schools were devastated, and their workers injured, kidnapped and killed.
At least 2000 schools were destroyed in three regions of Ethiopia alone.
Humanitarians also faced regular threats.
Their work was hampered by violence, bureaucracy and politics, and obstructed by overly-broad sanctions and counterterrorism measures.
In Afghanistan, the ban by the de facto authorities on women working in the humanitarian aid sector is having life-threatening consequences for women and girls.
Mr. President,
War means hunger.
Armed conflict is a key factor driving food insecurity around the world.
Last year, more than 117 million people faced acute hunger primarily because of war and insecurity.
This is an outrage.
Damage to critical infrastructure hampers food production, blocks distribution and deprives people of safe water:
Syria now has 40 percent less drinking water than at the start of the conflict.
Fighters destroy crops and steal livestock;
Explosives contaminate fertile land;
Markets cannot function, and prices rocket.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has contributed to the rise in the price of food, energy and fertilizer globally, with terrible effects for the world’s poorest.
And when conflict combines with the climate crisis, harvests shrink and people go hungry.
I saw this for myself during my recent visit to Somalia. After years of war, Somalis have been going through their worst drought in decades.
An estimated 43,000 people died as a result in 2022 alone, half of them children, and millions have been forced from their homes.
Mr. President,
There has been action over the past year to alleviate the impact of conflict on civilians:
Some parties to conflicts have taken steps to protect children, allow humanitarians to gain access to those in need, and more.
My newly-appointed Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator is leading a system-wide response to rising food insecurity.
And our Action Agenda on Internal Displacement outlines a plan to respond to the record number of displaced people and prevent further crises.
The Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding to promote Russian food and fertilizer to global markets helped to stabilize markets, bring down prices and ease the food crisis.
Ukraine has been able to export over 30 million metric tons of food.
That includes lifesaving grain transported by the World Food Programme to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen.
I welcome the Russian Federation’s confirmation that it will continue to participate in the Black Sea Initiative for another 60 days.
Outstanding issues remain.
But representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye and the United Nations will keep discussing them.
And looking ahead, we hope that exports of food and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the Russian Federation and Ukraine will be able to reach global supply chains safely and predictably.
This is foreseen in both the Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding – the implementation of which the United Nations is fully committed to support.
Last November, states adopted a political declaration to protect civilians by restricting or refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. I urge all states to join and turn the declaration into meaningful action.
And in December, the Security Council adopted resolution 2664, which aims to prevent United Nations sanctions from harming civilians and obstructing humanitarian action.
I urge all states to implement it and to exclude humanitarian and medical activities from their own counterterrorism and sanctions measures.
Mr. President,
These modest steps are welcome.
But the terrible truth is that the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect civilians; commitments enshrined in international humanitarian law.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols are the cornerstone of that legal framework.
And I pay tribute to the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the guardian of those treaties:
You meet danger and brutality with bravery, compassion and humanity.
And you will always have my full support.
The ICRC’s role is unique. It has a mandate to respond.
And that mandate must be respected: by every government, every armed group, and every fighter.
Mr. President,
We must never lose sight of the meaning and purpose of international humanitarian law:
It is the difference between life and death; between restraint and anarchy;
Between losing ourselves in horror and retaining our humanity.
But law overlooked is law undermined.
We need action and accountability to ensure it is respected.
That depends on political will.
Peace is the best form of protection.
We must intensify our efforts to prevent conflict, protect civilians, preserve peace and find political solutions to war.
In the coming weeks, I will issue a policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace in preparation for next year’s Summit of the Future.
This will offer a holistic approach for Member States to consider, tuned to the times, to address peace and security in a changing world.
Where war continues, all countries must comply with international humanitarian law and members of this Council have a particular responsibility.
Governments should incorporate international humanitarian law into national laws, and military rules and training.
Humanitarians must be assured safe access. Attacks against them must cease.
And their work must be facilitated, including by removing deadly bureaucratic barriers.
It is unconscionable that vital aid languishes in ports and warehouses while people die.
The Security Council has a special role to play in urging states to respect the rules of war.
Governments with influence over warring parties should engage in political dialogue, and train forces on protecting civilians.
And countries that export weapons should refuse to do business with any party that fails to comply with international humanitarian law.
Those who commit war crimes must be held to account.
States must investigate alleged war crimes, prosecute perpetrators and enhance other States’ capacity to do so.
And we must do everything in our power to break the deadly cycle of armed conflict and hunger:
Addressing the underlying causes of hunger by strengthening vulnerable countries’ economies;
Honoring commitments to support countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis;
And increasing contributions to humanitarian operations, which are – shamefully – just 15 percent funded.
Mr. President,
Civilians have suffered the deadly effects of armed conflict for too long.
It is time we live up to our promise to protect them.
Thank you.
缓解影响
©联合国图片 | 冲突中的平民不应成为攻击的目标
古特雷斯在讲话中提到了最近为减轻冲突对平民的影响而采取的行动。例如，一些交战方已采取措施保护儿童，并允许人道主义工作者接触需要帮助的人。在谈到粮食安全问题时，古特雷斯提到了在持续战争中从乌克兰出口谷物的黑海倡议等措施，以及将俄罗斯粮食和化肥引入全球市场的谅解备忘录。这些行动表明，在保护平民方面已经取得一些进展，但仍需更多努力来解决这个“令人担忧的”问题。
去年11月，各国通过了《关于加强保护平民免遭在人口密集区使用爆炸性武器造成的人道主义后果的政治宣言》，他敦促所有国家加入宣言。安理会还在去年12月通过了一项决议，旨在防止联合国的制裁伤害平民和阻碍人道主义行动。
据联合国记录，2022年在12场武装冲突中共有至少16988名平民死亡，比2021年增加53%，但实际数字可能更高。老年人受到的影响格外严重，因为许多老年人不愿或不能离开敌对行动地区，从而增加了他们的伤亡风险，并导致他们无法获得食物、水、卫生保健、住所和社交网络。
在索马里，710名平民被杀害，1148名平民受伤，比2021年增加60%，为2017年以来之最。在巴勒斯坦被占领土，2022年是自2005年联合国开始系统记录死亡人数以来，西岸的巴勒斯坦平民死亡人数最多的一年。
在人口居住区使用爆炸性武器继续造成远远超出其袭击目标的伤害，而且在使用后很长时间内仍在造成伤害，从而对基本服务产生深远影响。2022年，据记录在受冲突影响的17个国家和地区的人口居住区共发生了2399起涉及使用爆炸性武器的事件，造成18163人伤亡，其中近94%是平民。
©联合国图片 | 等待领取联合国人道援助的儿童
行动呼吁
在提到《日内瓦公约》时，古特雷斯对适度的措施表示欢迎。但他也在安理会上明确指出，可怕的事实是世界未能履行其在战时保护平民的承诺，他敦促各方对国际人道法给予更大的尊重，并倡导国际社会加强努力，采取行动和问责，切实履行《公约》，以预防冲突、保护平民、维护和平并找到战争的政治解决方案。古特雷斯秘书长在他的最新报告中提出以下行动建议：
(a) 批准或加入相关条约，并将其国际人道法和国际人权法条约义务纳入国家法律、军事手册、行为守则、接战规则和培训中；
(b) 审查与减轻平民伤害有关的政策和做法，并在必要时加以修订，从速加入《关于加强保护平民免受在人口居住区使用爆炸性武器造成的人道主义后果的政治宣言》，并将其承诺转化为有意义的行动；
c) 加倍努力推动寻求解决境内流离失所者问题的方案，包括通过政府主导的、以政府的国家发展计划和战略及其发展伙伴的发展合作框架为基础的解决方案战略；
(d) 落实法律、政策和体制框架，对受其管辖的受保护人员负责，并确保有效搜寻和查明失踪人员以及妥善管理死者；
(e) 保护人道主义行动不受冲突政治动态的影响，支持与包括非国家武装团体在内的冲突各方进行人道主义接触，并采取行动促进公正的人道主义活动；
(f) 将公正的人道主义和医疗活动排除在反恐和制裁措施的适用范围之外，并全面执行安全理事会第2664 (2022)号决议；
(g) 全面执行第2417 (2018)和2573 (2021)号决议，手段包括保护平民生存所不可或缺的物体，始终注意不伤害平民和民用物体，并协助向所有有需要的人迅速和畅通无阻地提供公正的人道主义救济；
(h) 为打破武装冲突和粮食不安全之间的循环，找到解决冲突的政治解决方案，支持脆弱国家的经济和保障生计，扩大对人道主义行动的支持，并支持采取综合应对措施，以解决武装冲突中粮食不安全问题严重的多种驱动因素；
(i) 确保尊重国际人道法和国际人权法，为此开展政治对话、培训和宣传、联合业务规划，以及以遵守国际人道法和国际人权法作为武器出口的条件；
(j) 调查被指控的战争罪、危害人类罪和灭绝种族罪，起诉犯罪人，确保受害者得到赔偿并保证不再发生此类罪行，加强国家调查和起诉的能力和资源，并酌情成为《国际刑事法院罗马规约》的缔约国，与国际刑事法院及其他调查和司法机制充分合作。
安理会的“特殊责任”
古特雷斯强调，安理会在敦促各国尊重战争规则方面可以发挥特殊作用。对交战方有影响力的政府应参与政治对话，并训练部队更好地保护平民。在战争持续的地方，所有国家都必须遵守国际人道法，安理会各理事国负有特殊责任。
他敦促各国政府将国际人道法纳入本国法律、军事规则和训练，并补充指出，必须保证人道主义工作者的安全通行，必须停止对他们的蓄意袭击。此外，出口武器的国家应拒绝与不遵守国际人道法的利益攸关方做生意。此外，必须追究犯下战争罪的各方的责任。古特雷斯提出，各国必须调查被指控的战争罪，起诉犯罪者并加强其他国家这样做的能力。
据联合国统计，2022年，在17个冲突环境中，79名人道主义工作者被杀害，43人受伤，113人被绑架。诋毁人道主义行为体的错误信息和虚假信息影响了公众的看法，破坏了信任，造成了安全风险，并使人道主义工作者向有需要的人提供援助的能力受到限制。
救民于水火之中
在武装冲突中，平民首当其冲地遭受到暴力和破坏。国际人道法要求冲突各方尊重平民和民用基础设施，但那些本应幸免的人仍在受到严重伤害。近日，联合国人道协调厅与比利时、瑞士、公民社会和国际救援委员会一起组织“平民保护周”，并在期间举行多场活动，旨在让会员国、联合国和民间社会就如何在武装冲突中加强对平民的保护进行开诚布公的讨论。
加强对平民保护势在必行的五个原因：
©联合国图片 | 在武装冲突期间和之后，儿童不应沦为袭击的目标
1
最大限度地减少平民伤害
武装冲突导致平民死亡、受伤和心理创伤。2022年，在17个受冲突影响的国家和地区，受到人口密集地区使用爆炸性武器伤害的近94%是平民。冲突还导致房屋、学校、医疗设施、供水设施和其他重要基础设施遭到破坏。当关键基础设施被摧毁或损坏时，水、电和医疗保健等基本服务就会中断，造成更多痛苦。
2
预防并解决饥饿与饥荒
去年，冲突和不安全是19个国家和地区约1.17亿人面临严重粮食不安全状况的最大驱动因素。农作物被毁，牲畜被盗，土地被破坏，道路被封锁，农民被赶出农田。生计因此丧失，而食品价格急剧上涨。
3
保护弱势群体
妇女、儿童和残疾人以不同的方式受到冲突的影响，保护弱势群体至关重要。去年，妇女和女孩至少占记录在案的性暴力受害者的95%。儿童被绑架、招募和用于敌对行动，并被剥夺了受教育的权利。残疾人被困在敌对行动中，无法获得食物、水、医疗保健或人道主义援助。
4
确保人道主义工作者的安全准入
人道主义工作者面临着相互叠加的挑战，这些挑战对其向最有需求的人提供援助造成影响。包括敌对行动、爆炸物、官僚障碍、国家制裁和反恐措施等因素令人道主义活动变得缓慢或者停滞，人们因此得不到所需的必需品。此外，他们自身还受到攻击，面临被杀害或者受伤的风险，同时面临被绑架和物资遭洗劫的威胁。
5
防止被迫的流离失所并找到持久解决方案
2022年，因冲突、暴力、侵犯人权行为和迫害而被迫流离失所的人数超过了惊人的一亿。即使在逃离暴力之后，人们仍然处于不安全的境地。他们面临更多的暴力、爆炸危险，且获得基本服务的机会有限。流离失所者在获得食物方面面临着更大的困难，这种困难随着他们流离失所的次数而增加。
必须要做什么？
©联合国图片 | 人道协调厅政策咨询和规划科科长比夫莱发言（资料图片）
人道协调厅政策咨询和规划科科长比夫莱（Aurélien Buffler）表示，“平民保护周”提供了一个建立联系、开展讨论以及分享知识和解决方案的机会，以加强对平民的保护。这是一个让武装冲突受害者的声音被听到的平台，来自世界各地的人们能积极倾听他们的意见和需求。他着重解释了当前国际社会急需开展的三大行动，以切实加强对平民的保护。
01
需要所有国家和冲突各方将国际人道法纳入其立法、军事手册和培训，并对儿童和残疾人等弱势群体采取具体保护措施。需要所有国家加入新的《关于加强保护平民免遭在人口密集区使用爆炸性武器造成的人道主义后果的政治宣言》，并将其承诺转化为有意义的行动。
02
需要畅通无阻的人道主义通道，并保护所有人道工作者和物资。必须允许人道主义者将急需的援助安全送达最有需要的人手中，必须鼓励他们与武装冲突各方就准入问题进行谈判，并促进对国际人道法的遵守。各国应确保其制裁和反恐措施不会对提供人道主义和医疗援助产生负面影响。
03
所有国家都必须确保尊重国际人道法，其实现手段包括政治对话、培训战斗人员、以受援国尊重国际法为条件提供军事支持，以及调查和起诉战争罪。
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