As humanitarian organizations working across the globe to protect and assist civilians in conflict, we welcome today’s Security Council meeting on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the protection of humanitarian space. This year marks 20 years since the Security Council seized protection of civilians as part of its agenda, the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols and 30 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, conditions for civilians and humanitarian action continue to deteriorate. We are confronted each day with persistent violations of IHL-- including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure—which has led to immense human suffering. At the same time, threats to humanitarian action continue to grow, impeding our attempts to protect and assist civilians.

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