In recognising the United Nations Action for Peace, Fiji joined the UN Member States in supporting the call made by the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) António Guterres for a “global ceasefire,” and for the world to collectively focus its efforts to containing COVID-19 pandemic.

Representing Fiji at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) virtual debate held yesterday on, “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts,” Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Satyendra Prasad informed the UNSC that “peace operations will need to be repurposed; re-tooled so that peacekeepers can both keep missions safe while maintaining services and protecting populations caught in conflict between warring faction and parties”. The UNSC needs to take firmer and urgent action to arrest this alarming development which can only lead to tragic consequences.

Ambassador Prasad drew attention on the UNSC progress that Fiji was making in bringing COVID-19 preparedness into the training and deployment of Fiji’s peacekeepers.

The UNSG said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “causing enormous human suffering and additional stress to health systems, economies and communities. Those that are already weakened by years of armed conflict are particularly vulnerable. COVID-19 is not only spreading sickness and death; it is pushing people into poverty and hunger. In some cases, it is reversing decades of development progress.”

The UNSG further stated that “civil society support and political will of member states and the Security Council are needed to implement the various United Nations Security Council resolutions and international programs aimed at protecting civilians in armed conflict”.

The President of Estonia, Foreign Ministers’ of Indonesia, Germany, UK, and several countries addressed the UNSC virtually. They all raised the need to secure a cease fire and to apply all international laws with respect to protection of civilians.

The United Nations Security Council Open debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict is one of the high level events during the United Nations Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts week which is held from 27th May – 01 June 2020. The weeklong theme based event aims to highlight and continue to provide awareness of the high civilian suffering and casualties as a result of armed conflict.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict of 2019, highlighted that civilians continue to suffer the most in armed conflict. The report highlighted that in 2019, “more than 20,000 civilians were killed or injured as a result of attacks in conflicts in just 10 countries around the world.” The trendlines highlighted by the report are tragic and alarming.