mes, contributing to record numbers of refugees and internally displaced people.

Unexploded ordnance and the millions of tonnes of debris left over from urban warfare pose risks both to the environment and to people’s health. “Four years after the destruction of 80% of homes in Mosul, Iraq, it is estimated that 300,000 people are still displaced”, gave the example of the UN chief.

In addition, mass destruction in urban areas is setting development back decades, undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The appalling human cost of war in cities is not inevitable; it’s a choice,” the Secretary-General told the Council.

He presented a series of measures aimed at preventing and mitigating the effects of conflicts in urban areas, affirming that “all parties must fully respect international humanitarian law” and recalling that “attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate attacks and the use of civilians as human shields are prohibited”.

According to Mr. Guterres, the parties to the conflict must “adapt their weapons and tactics when waging war in cities”. “All warring parties must refrain from using explosive weapons with a wide area of impact in populated areas,” he said, calling on states to “urgently” apply good practices that reduce the humanitarian consequences of these weapons.

He stressed the importance of States prosecuting perpetrators of grave violations and alleged war crimes. “We owe it to the victims and their loved ones – and it’s also crucial for it to be a powerful deterrent,” he said.

Also, the effective protection of civilians in the context of urban warfare “requires effective additional policies and practices that go beyond this commitment.” In particular, he called on the belligerents to follow up on allegations of damage caused to civilians and homes, markets and civilian infrastructure and to learn from them, in order to assess the impact of their operations and see how to minimize the damage; or recording the number of victims to help shed light on the fate of missing persons, to find ways to minimize the harm caused to civilians.

“Parties to a conflict must ensure that their armed forces are trained to follow these policies and practices, as well as other good practices,” Mr. Guterres said, adding that “all states should establish national policy frameworks to the protection of civilians, who rely on these policies and practices”.

He urged all Member States to use their influence on their partners and allies to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and the adoption of good practices, stressing the central role of the Security Council in this regard.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse