Thank you Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as Andorra and Monaco, align themselves with this statement.

Excellencies, Colleagues,

We will soon be commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. In response to the horrors of the Second World War, the international community came together to ensure that such devastation would never occur again. The resulting universal consensus that even wars have rules gave rise to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Over time, the majority of their provisions, along with the 1907 Hague Regulations, have become part of customary international law and are thus binding on States.

Only a few months ago, the General Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to IHL under Action 14 of the Pact for the Future.

Yet today, we find ourselves in a time of unprecedented IHL violations and increasingly complex needs, where parties to conflict routinely disregard their obligations to facilitate humanitarian access, as well as the principles of humanity, distinction, proportionality, precaution, and military necessity. The devastating consequences are borne by civilians, including humanitarian and medical personnel, and have a disproportionate impact on women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

As today’s meeting confirms, international humanitarian law not only preserves human dignity in armed conflict, but also protects and preserves the critical infrastructure and institutions necessary for recovery on the path towards sustainable peace. IHL also protects the natural environment, where increasing damage has weakened resilience against climate and disaster shocks.

In these respects, the European Union pays special tribute to the important role of the ICRC as the guardian of IHL, and the ongoing work to ensure its respect.

Excellencies, Colleagues,

Today’s dialogue focuses on IHL compliance, so allow me to close with four brief points that, in our view, are critical in ensuring that compliance:

First and fundamentally, all States and parties to armed conflicts must respect and ensure respect for IHL in all circumstances. The EU and its Member States remain committed to using all available mechanisms at national, regional, and international levels to ensure this respect, as expressed in the EU Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with IHL. It is equally vital to ensure that knowledge about the rules of IHL is disseminated at all levels. Respecting the law – a law agreed to by the international community, by all of us -- is not negotiable.

Second, and related to the first, we need to build a global understanding that the laws of war protect humanity’s hard won gains – they are not a “nice to have,” they are a “must have” for protecting the dignity of human beings and our own humanity. In this context as well, the EU welcomes the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment on IHL, launched by the ICRC and six States in September of last year, as an important opportunity towards reinforcing that understanding and reaffirming our commitments.

Third, accountability. The fight against impunity strengthens IHL compliance. The EU remains strongly committed to justice for atrocity crimes and recalls that States are primarily responsible for prosecuting individuals responsible for grave breaches of IHL under their jurisdiction. The European Union underlines the important complementary role of the International Criminal Court when a State is unable or unwilling to carry out proceedings.

Fourth, and in view of this year’s unprecedented humanitarian needs and requirements – some 47 billion dollars for 190 million people across 72 countries – realizing that greater respect for IHL does not only save lives, prevent suffering, and limit damage, but also reduces the magnitude of needs and thus the scope of our required response in an already stretched humanitarian system.

Dear Colleagues, these are fundamental elements for fulfilling our collective responsibility to ensure we honour our IHL obligations.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.