UN General Assembly
2014

particularly alarmed about the rising violence against human rights defenders, such as the recent murder of Samira Saleh Al-Nuaimi, an Iraqi activist and the mother of three children. There is nothing Islamic about that barbaric act, committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In times of conflict, international humanitarian law represents our hope for at least the bare minimum of human dignity. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 are among not only the greatest achievements in the history of international law but also the most successful treaties with their near-universal acceptance. Nevertheless, their core principles — proportionality in the use of force and a distinction between civilians and combatants — are violated on a daily basis. The recent conflict in Gaza was carried out at the expense of civilians by both parties to the conflict. The civilian population of Syria has been experiencing enormous suffering for more than three years now. Atrocities have been committed against men, women and children by the regime and, increasingly, by other actors. Humanitarian access has