Security Council resolution 2175 (2014) [on protection of humanitarian personnel and UN and associated personnel in armed conflict]
Symbol: S/RES/2175 (2014)
Date: 2014-08-29
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/69 [189] CIVILIAN PERSONS--ARMED CONFLICTS
Subjects: Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel (1994)|Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel (1994). Protocols, etc., 2005 Dec. 8|HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW|RELIEF PERSONNEL|FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT|STAFF SECURITY|CRIMINAL JUSTICE|VIOLENCE
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: AUSTRALIA
vote: yes
country: CHAD
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JORDAN
vote: yes
country: LITHUANIA
vote: yes
country: LUXEMBOURG
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: REPUBLIC OF KOREA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: RWANDA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2175 (2014)
               Security Council                                               Distr.: General
                                                                              29 August 2014




               Resolution 2175 (2014)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7256th meeting, on
               29 August 2014

                    The Security Council,
                     Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of internationa l
               peace and security and, in this context, the need to promote and ensure respect for
               the principles and rules of international humanitarian law,
                     Recalling Security Council resolution 1502 (2003) on the Protection of
               Humanitarian Personnel, its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006),
               1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, as
               well as other relevant resolutions and statements of its President on protect ion of
               civilians in armed conflict and on protection of United Nations personnel, associated
               personnel and humanitarian personnel in conflict zones,
                     Recalling the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of
               1977, and the obligation of parties to armed conflict to respect and ensure respect
               for international humanitarian law in all circumstances,
                    Recalling the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated
               Personnel, and its Optional Protocol,
                    Recalling all relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolutions
               68/101 entitled Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of
               United Nations personnel, and 68/102 entitled Strengthening the Coordination of
               humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations,
                     Reaffirming the need for all parties to armed conflict to respect the
               humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in
               order to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance, the safety of civilians
               receiving assistance and the security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations
               and its associated personnel,
                     Recalling the inclusion of attacks intentionally directed against personnel
               involved in a humanitarian assistance or peacekeeping mission in accordance with
               the Charter, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to civilians or
               civilian objects under the international law of armed conflict, as a war crime in the
               Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,
                    Emphasizing the responsibility of States to comply with their relevant
               obligations to end impunity and to thoroughly investigate and prosecute persons

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               responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, in order to
               prevent these crimes, avoid their recurrence and seek sustainable peace, justice,
               truth and reconciliation, and, in this regard, reaffirming the need to end impunity for
               serious violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving
               attacks against humanitarian personnel,
                     Stressing that the fight against impunity and to ensure accountability for
               genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious crimes has been
               strengthened through the work on and prosecution of these crimes in the
               international criminal justice system, ad hoc and mixed tribunals as well as
               specialized chambers in national tribunals; and recognising in this regard the
               contribution of the International Criminal Court, in accordanc e with the principle of
               complementarity to national criminal jurisdictions as set out in the Rome Statute,
               towards holding accountable those responsible for such crimes, and reiterating its
               call on the importance of State cooperation with these courts and tribunals in
               accordance with the States’ respective obligations,
                    Recalling that the primary responsibility under international law for the
               security and protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and
               associated personnel lies with the Government hosting a United Nations operation
               conducted under the Charter of the United Nations or its agreements with relevant
               organizations,
                     Gravely concerned at the growing number of acts of violence in many parts of
               the world against national and international personnel of humanitarian
               organisations, United Nations personnel and its associated personnel, and
               humanitarian assets, including humanitarian supplies, facilities and transports, in
               particular deliberate attacks which are in violation of internationa l humanitarian law,
               as well as other applicable international law and the adverse impact of such
               violence, including on humanitarian access, exacerbated by the presence of armed
               actors, including non-state armed groups, terrorist and criminal networks, and their
               activities,
                     1.   Reaffirms the obligation of all parties involved in an armed conflict to
               comply with international humanitarian law, in particular their obligations under the
               Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the obligations applicable to them under the
               Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, to ensure the respect and protection of all
               humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, as well as
               with the rules and principles of international human rights law and refugee law;
                     2.    Strongly condemns all forms of violence and intimidation, including,
               inter alia, murder, rape and sexual assault, armed robbery, abduction, hostage -
               taking, kidnapping, harassment and illegal arrest and detention to which those
               participating in humanitarian operations are increasingly exposed, as well as attacks
               on humanitarian convoys and acts of destruction and looting of their assets;
                     3.   Urges all parties involved in an armed conflict to allow full unimpeded
               access by humanitarian personnel to all people in need of assistance, and to make
               available, as far as possible, all necessary facilities for their operations, and to
               promote the safety, security and freedom of movement of humanitarian personnel
               and United Nations and its associated personnel and their assets;
                    4.  Urges States to ensure that crimes against humanitarian personnel do not
               remain unpunished, affirming the need for States to ensure that perpetrators of


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           attacks committed on their territory against such personnel do not operate with
           impunity, and that perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice, as provided for by
           national laws and obligations under international law;
                5.    Reaffirms the obligation of all humanitarian personnel and United
           Nations and its associated personnel to observe and respec t the laws of the country
           in which they are operating, in accordance with international law and the Charter of
           the United Nations, and underlines the importance for humanitarian organizations to
           uphold the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality a nd independence in their
           humanitarian activities;
                6.    Expresses its determination to take appropriate steps in order to ensure
           the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its
           associated personnel, including, inter alia, by:
                (a) Ensuring that the mandates of relevant United Nations peacekeeping
           operations can, where appropriate and on a case-by-case basis, help to contribute to
           a secure environment to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance by
           humanitarian organisations, in accordance with humanitarian principles;
                 (b) Requesting the Secretary-General to seek the inclusion of, and that host
           countries include, key provisions of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations
           and Associated Personnel, including, among others, those regarding the prevention
           of attacks against members of United Nations operations, the establishment of such
           attacks as crimes punishable by law and the prosecution or extradition of offenders,
           in future as well as, if necessary, in existing status-of-forces, status-of-missions and
           host country agreements negotiated between the United Nations and those countries,
           mindful of the importance of the timely conclusion of such agreements;
                (c) Encouraging the Secretary-General, in accordance with his prerogatives
           under the Charter of the United Nations, to bring to the attention of the Security
           Council situations in which humanitarian assistance is unable to reach people in
           need as a consequence of violence directed against humanitarian personnel and
           United Nations and its associated personnel;
                 (d) Issuing the declaration of exceptional risk for the purposes of
           article 1 (c) (ii) of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated
           Personnel, in situations where in its assessment circumstances would support such a
           declaration, and inviting the Secretary-General to advise the Security Council,
           where in his assessment circumstances would support such a declaration;
                (e) Calling upon all States to consider becoming parties to the Convention
           on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and its Optional Protocol,
           and urging States parties to take steps to enable its effective implementation;
                 7.    Requests the Secretary-General to include in all his country-specific
           situation reports, and other relevant reports which address the protection of
           civilians, the issue of the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and United
           Nations and its associated personnel, including recording specific acts of violence
           against such personnel, remedial actions taken to prevent similar incidents and
           actions taken to identify and hold accountable those who commit such acts, and to
           provide the Security Council with recommendations on measures to prevent similar
           incidents, ensure accountability and enhance the safety and security of such
           personnel.



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