December 9, 2024
Mr. President,
Allow me to take this opportunity to return to France’s priorities in the field of humanitarian issues.
France is committed to the respect of international humanitarian law and to the promotion of its universality and its principles. As this year we mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, violations of international humanitarian law are on the rise. In many conflicts, civilians and civilian infrastructure are deliberately targeted and humanitarian access is hindered. According to the United Nations, 2024 has been the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel. War has rules, the ultimate goal of which is to save lives and reduce suffering.
France supports the initiative led by the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to make universal respect for international humanitarian law a commitment and a political priority. France has taken concrete commitments during the 34th Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Mr. President,
Resolving current conflicts and preventing the emergence of new crises can only be done through political solutions. This is the only way to put an end to humanitarian crises in the long term.
The ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon is the result of diplomatic efforts with Lebanese and Israeli authorities, in close cooperation with the United States of America. Turning to Gaza, France has always acted in favor of a just and sustainable political solution, based on two states.
Mr. President,
Given the scale of the humanitarian needs and challenges, we must shoulder our responsibilities by supporting the work of the humanitarian community.
This means providing humanitarian actors with sufficient resources to carry out their mission. In Paris, France has mobilized the international community to respond to the humanitarian consequences of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Lebanon. In 2024, France’s humanitarian assistance reaches more than 700 million euros.
Food security and nutrition are a priority for France. We will host the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit on March 27 and 28, 2025. The assistance to refugees and displaced people, the rights of women and girls and the fight against violence against them in conflicts, the protection of children, education and health, and taking into account the climate and environmental dimensions of humanitarian crises are also priorities.
Supporting the humanitarian community involves adopting the resolutions submitted today, while maintaining the international consensus on the United Nations’ main normative frameworks for humanitarian action, and reaffirming the universality of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. This is the spirit of an effective multilateralism working for the benefit of crises-affected people, of peace and of international security.
Thank you.