Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique is today sharing its experience in matters of security and the dignity of civilians in conflict zones, through an intervention at the UN Security Council (UNSC) by President Filipe Nyusi, who has been in New York since yesterday.
The Mozambican head of state’s participation at the event, entitled: “Ensuring the security and dignity of civilians in conflict: addressing food insecurity and protecting essential services”, takes place within the framework of the UNSC’s annual High Level Open Debate. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. (3:00 p.m. in Mozambique) and will be chaired by Alain Berset, his counterpart from Switzerland, a country whose presidency of the UNSC ends this week.
At the annual Security Council Open Debate on Protection of Civilians (PoC), Mozambique will present its experience on the protection of the population in conflict zones and reiterate its support for all global initiatives aimed at ensuring assistance and protection for people in conflict situations, Mozambican ambassador to the UN Pedro Comissário told Radio Mozambique.
According to UN figures, 70% of people suffering from acute hunger live in conflict areas.
Protecting civilians in armed conflict is one of Switzerland’s priorities for its work in the UN Security Council in 2023/24, alongside the commitment to sustainable peace, enhancing effectiveness in the Council and climate security. The visits that President Berset paid to Mozambique in February and to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April were primarily devoted to these topics.
In 2018 and 2021, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolutions on food security and protecting civilian infrastructure in conflict zones. Resolution 2417 specifically condemns the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. In Resolution 2573, the Security Council condemned unlawful attacks on objects critical to the delivery of essential services to the civilian population.
Furthermore, more people die worldwide from the consequences of armed conflict than from the violence itself. In light of numerous conflicts, including Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, the Council will also address how to improve food security in affected areas.
The high-level debate in the UN Security Council is intended to underline the importance of international humanitarian law in armed conflict, an issue that Switzerland has long been a strong advocate of.
Besides President Filipe Nyusi, speakers at the debate will include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, and a civil society representative from West Africa.
Digital dilemmas in humanitarian work
On Tuesday evening, President Nyusi was a guest of honour at the opening of an exhibition entitled ‘Digital Dilemmas’ at the UN headquarters in New York. President Berset opened the exhibition, alongside UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and ICRC President Spoljaric Egger.
The immersive experience, organised by Switzerland and the ICRC, is dedicated to the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation in the field of humanitarian work.
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