UN Security Council adopts resolution on protection of civilians, civilian objects

UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution on the protection of civilians and civilian objects in armed conflict.

Resolution 2573 strongly condemns attacks in situations of armed conflicts directed against civilians and other protected persons or civilian objects, and demands that all parties to armed conflict immediately put an end to such practices.

It demands that all parties to armed conflict fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, including regarding distinguishing between, on the one hand, civilian populations, civilian objects and all other persons and objects afforded protection, and, on the other hand, combatants and military objectives; prohibiting indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks; taking all feasible precautions in planning, deciding and conducting attacks to avoid, and in any event minimize, harm to civilians and civilian objects; and taking all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects within their control against the effects of attacks.

It further demands that all parties to armed conflict fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding taking due care to spare the civilian population, civilians and civilian objects; refraining from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population; and respecting and protecting humanitarian personnel and consignments used for humanitarian relief operations.

The resolution strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in a number of armed conflict situations which is prohibited by international law and may constitute a war crime.

It strongly condemns the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival in situations of armed conflict, as well as the misuse of civilian objects in violation of international law by all parties to armed conflict.

It urges all parties to armed conflict to protect civilian infrastructure which is critical to the delivery of humanitarian aid and to ensuring the proper functioning of food systems and markets in situations of armed conflict.

The resolution reiterates its demand that all parties to armed conflict engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause to facilitate safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provision of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, and medical evacuations, as well as equitable, safe and unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccination in areas of armed conflict.