ECOSOC HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SEGMENT: NATIONAL STATEMEN
25 June 2024
Statement by First Assistant Secretary Beth Delaney
Thank you Mr President, distinguished guests and delegates.
2024 is on track to be another immensely challenging year. The growing number of protracted conflicts and crises is driving displacement and humanitarian need to extraordinary levels, with the number of people in need now sitting at 308.5 million.
Australia joins others in reaffirming calls for respect for international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians in armed conflicts in this seventy-fifth anniversary year of the Geneva Conventions.
We must do more to safeguard safe, unimpeded, and sustained access for humanitarian supplies and workers to enable lifesaving support for all civilians. We pay tribute to the dedicated aid workers, who in such challenging environments, deliver life-saving assistance to those most in need.
The death of any aid worker is outrageous and unacceptable.
Within our region, the conflict in Myanmar has intensified, with over three million displaced now as a result of escalating conflict.
Acute food insecurity and malnutrition, driven by conflict and climate changes, remains distressingly high, destabilising populations and jeopardising the lives and future potential of hundreds of thousands of children.
The need for peace and principled humanitarian action is more important than ever.
Gender-responsive and disability-inclusive programming is a prerequisite for effective humanitarian assistance.
We must prioritise protection and accountability in humanitarian action, with a particular focus on women, children, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
Recognising they are leaders, first responders and agents of change, not just victims and survivors of crises.
Mr. President, Australia is proud to be part of a global humanitarian system that saves millions of lives every year. But the system is overstretched.
Humanitarian needs continue to outpace humanitarian funding.
That’s why we welcome the efforts of humanitarian agencies such as OCHA and the IFRC who are leading efforts to increase the reach and impact of humanitarian funding, by anticipating need and releasing funds early to reduce the human and economic cost of crises.
We commend the efforts of governments, the UN and civil society who are bringing these innovative approaches to the Pacific, such as through Fiji’s Anticipatory Action Framework for Tropical Cyclones, ensuring communities are better protected and prepared when disasters strike.
To reduce suffering and put us back on track to meet the 2030 Agenda, we must strengthen preparedness for future crises and address the root causes of these crises.
Development and political investments in support of the Sustainable Development Goals in fragile and conflict-affected states are essential if we are to reduce humanitarian need over time.
We must ensure peace, and humanitarian and development engagements work more coherently - to co-design crises responses, empower local communities, build trust, and work towards a more peaceful, sustainable and resilient future.
Thank you.