Protection of Civilians Week 2026 – Open Debate
Joint Statement on behalf of the Ministerial Group for the Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel: Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
As delivered
20 May 2026
Thank you, President. I’m honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of the Ministerial Group for the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, comprising Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
We meet today against a backdrop of tragedy.
In recent weeks, Ghanaian, Indonesian, and French peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL have been killed and injured. We honour their dedication and service and extend our deepest condolences to their families, their governments, and their colleagues. Their deaths are a stark reminder that those who commit to protect and assist civilians are facing grave risks.
Unfortunately, these tragedies are not isolated incidents. Last year, more than 332 humanitarian personnel were killed globally. This marks the third consecutive year of record fatalities. Of these, the vast majority were national and locally recruited personnel serving their own communities. In a shocking statistic, United Nations personnel suffered the highest toll in the organisation’s history.
Concerningly, these attacks are growing while new challenges are emerging in humanitarian aid delivery. Access restrictions, bureaucratic and administrative impediments, criminalisation of humanitarian aid, and the politicization of aid delivery are increasingly constraining humanitarian operations.
Simultaneously, emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping conflict itself and may pose new threats to humanitarian action. These technologies should be used in ways that strengthen, not undermine, the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and principled humanitarian action.
It is fundamental that international humanitarian law must be respected and upheld by all parties to armed conflict in all circumstances. Security Council Resolution 2730 must be implemented. This is precisely why the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel matters. It commits us all to practical action to ensure greater respect for, and protection of, humanitarian personnel.
112 countries have endorsed the declaration so far, and we call on all Member States who have not yet done so to join and demonstrate commitment to protecting those who risk their lives to assist others.
As a Ministerial Group, we strive to lead by example. We condemn all attacks on humanitarians, including national and locally recruited personnel. We are committed to pursuing greater accountability and justice in response to incidents. This includes full, prompt, impartial, and transparent investigations, appropriate national and international legal mechanisms, and ensuring that attacks do not occur with impunity.
We are redoubling our efforts to uphold international humanitarian law, enhance humanitarian access, strengthen security risk management, and share good practice to help protect those who risk their lives to save others. This demands more than words. It demands political will, collective action, and sustained leadership.
We, in the Ministerial Group for the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, stand ready to work with all Member States to strengthen the protection and safety of humanitarian personnel, not just in principle, but in practice.
Thank you.