United Nations Security Council Resolution 2573 – Protection of civilians in armed conflictLetter from the President of the Council on the voting outcome (S/2021/407) and voting details (S/2021/410)

Resolution 2573 (2021)

Reiterating its primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security and, in this context, the need to promote and ensure respect for international humanitarian law,

Recalling all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1265 (1999), 1894 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2175 (2014), 2286 (2016), 2417 (2018), and its Presidential Statements of 12 February 1999 (S/PRST/1999/6), 12 February 2013 (S/PRST/2013/2), 9 August 2017 (S/PRST/2017/14), 20 August 2019 (S/PRST/2019/8), and 29 April 2020 (S/PRST/2020/6),

Reaffirming the full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,

Reiterating the primary responsibility of States to protect the population throughout their territories,

Gravely concerned about the level of violence against civilians in situations of armed conflicts, including indiscriminate attacks and establishment of military positions in densely populated areas, and their devastating impacts upon civilians,

Emphasising with deep concern that ongoing armed conflicts have devastating impacts on civilians and civilian objects, including civilians engaged in duties related to the operation, maintenance or repair of civilian infrastructure that is critical to the delivery of essential services to the civilian population and their assets that are civilian as such, and on objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, exacerbate existing socio-economic fragilities and vulnerabilities, overstretch limited resources, resulting in reduced access to essential services such as health care, water, sanitation, energy, posing devastating consequences for the civilian population, and hindering an effective humanitarian response,

Recognizing the interconnectedness of certain essential services, as well as the vulnerabilities of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population that can be damaged in situations of armed conflict,

Reiterating the call on all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law including regarding respecting and protecting civilians and taking constant care to spare civilian objects, including such objects critical to the delivery of essential services to the civilian population, refraining from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and respecting and protecting humanitarian personnel and consignments used for humanitarian relief operations,

Further expressing concern about the misuse of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population in contravention of applicable international law, that may endanger civilians and their ability to access essential services in situations of armed conflict,

Recalling its deep concern at the military use of schools in contravention of applicable international law, recognising that such use may render schools legitimate targets of attack, thus endangering children’s and teachers’ safety as well as children’s education,

Noting with concern the threats posed to civilian infrastructure, including that which supports essential services to the civilian population, by the use of any means or methods of warfare in violation of international humanitarian law, and the potentially devastating humanitarian impact of such use in situations of armed conflict,

Noting that armed conflicts, violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and destruction of or other damage to objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population can reduce or deprive civilians of access to essential services in situations of armed conflicts, and can be drivers of or aggravate forced displacement, compound the spread of infectious diseases in these contexts and hamper an effective public health response,

Reiterating its commitment to pursue all possible avenues to prevent and end armed conflicts, including through addressing their underlying root causes in an inclusive, integrated and sustainable manner,

Reiterating the need to strengthen efforts to resolve armed conflict and build sustainable peace and convinced that the protection of civilians in armed conflict and the protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population should be an important aspect in this regard,

Reiterating deep concern at the increasing number of civilians in ongoing armed conflict and related violence facing the threat of conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine,

Noting that the humanitarian situation in many armed conflicts can also be compounded by economic crises, increasingly frequent and severe weather events, and natural disasters and has deteriorated as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and, in this regard, reaffirming the need for combatting and sustainably recovering from the pandemic,

Recalling the obligations of all parties to armed conflicts under international law, including international human rights law, as applicable, and international humanitarian law including the prohibition of attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, hospitals, and other medical facilities,

Underlining the obligations of all parties to armed conflicts under international humanitarian law related to protecting civilians and civilian objects, meeting the basic needs of the civilian population within their territory or under their control, and allowing and facilitating the rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief to all those in need,

Stressing the particular impact that armed conflict has on women, children, including as refugees and internally displaced persons, and other civilians who may have specific vulnerabilities including persons with disabilities and older persons, including through increased risk of violence and lack of access to essential services, and stressing the protection and assistance needs of all affected civilian populations,

Recalling its practice that mandates of UN peacekeeping and other relevant missions include, where appropriate and on a case-by-case basis, provisions regarding the protection of civilians,

Stressing the need to fight against impunity and the importance of ensuring accountability for serious violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law,

Recognising the need to return as quickly as possible and in an inclusive and equitable manner provision of essential services, while building back better an d providing more resilient essential services to the civilian population, in contributing to advancing the comprehensive approach to sustaining peace in countries in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict, and in this regard, welcoming relevant international and regional cooperation,

1. Strongly condemns attacks in situations of armed conflicts directed against civilians as such and other protected persons or civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, resulting in the deprivation of the civilian population of objects indispensable to their survival, as flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, deplores the long-term humanitarian consequences of such attacks for the civilian population and demands that all parties to armed conflict immediately put an end to such practices;

2. Demands that all parties to armed conflicts 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;

3. 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;

4. 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;

5. 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 objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population in violation of international law by all parties to armed conflict;

6. Urges all parties to armed conflict to protect civilian infrastructure which is critical to the delivery of humanitarian aid including for the provision of essential services concerning vaccinations and related medical care and other essential services to the civilian population in armed conflict and to ensuring the proper functioning of food systems and markets in situations of armed conflict;

7. Reiterates its demand that all parties to armed conflict engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause to facilitate safe, unhindered and sustained de livery of humanitarian assistance, provision of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, consistent with humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and medical evacuations, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law and refugee law as applicable, as well as equitable, safe and unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccination in areas of armed conflict;

8. Reiterates the important role that capacity building in international humanitarian law can play in supporting efforts to protect objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and welcomes efforts by all parties to integrate or continue to integrate measures in this regard;

9. Encourages all efforts to protect objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure that is critical to enable the delivery of essential services in armed conflict, upon request, to meet the basic needs of the civilian population, including by:

(a) Protection of civilians operating, maintaining or repairing these objects, as well as their movement for the purpose of maintaining, repairing or operating such objects;

(b) Allowing and facilitating safe passage of equipment, transport and supplies necessary for the reparation, maintenance or operation of such objects;

10. Stresses the need to ensure better cooperation and coordination at the international level, including among the United Nations and relevant international, regional and sub-regional organizations, including through technical assistance and capacity building, with a view to supporting those affected by armed conflict to reduce humanitarian needs, enhance long-term recovery, protect livelihoods, improve access to essential services, build resilience of conflict-affected populations, and recover from the pandemic, while ensuring full, equal and meaningful participation of women in efforts to promote and maintain peace and security and promoting the inclusion of young people, and contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

11. Encourages the enhancement of technical expertise as appropriate within United Nations country teams so that they may, where appropriate and within their respective mandates and capabilities, respond effectively to support the provision of essential services;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to include as a sub-item in the reports on the protection of civilians the issue of protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.

Adopted by the Security Council on 27 April 2021.