Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 35
35
Rejected
Detail process for balancing national interest with UN penholder obligations on file responsibility
Recommendation
The Government, in its response, should detail the process by which national interest is weighed against obligations as penholder at the United Nations when assuming responsibility for a file, with reference to its responsibility for the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict file. (Recommendation, Paragraph 114)
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation to detail its process for weighing national interest against penholder obligations. It explains that its national interest aligns with seeking progress on protecting civilians in armed conflict and that it remains steadfast in upholding international humanitarian law and advocating for humanitarian access.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Disagree. 48. While HMG recognises that national interest does need to be considered through the perspective of a penholder, HMG does represent its national interest in seeking progress on protecting civilians in armed conflict within UN Security Council products. The UK national interest is neither at odds with supporting Protection of Civilians matters, nor does it preclude the UK pursuing further action to protect civilians in other forums. HMG remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding international humanitarian law (IHL) and protecting civilians in conflict, including through lobbying strongly for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. 49. As the Committee’s evidence has illustrated, in many conflict-affected countries, humanitarian access is increasingly unsafe, delayed and otherwise restricted, leaving millions of vulnerable people deprived of life-saving protection and assistance. In our own national statements and as a penholder, including on the Protection of Civilians file, the UK consistently presses for the UN Security Council to condemn such restrictions and call upon States and other relevant actors to grant rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. We call on States to protect civilians and meet their basic needs in line with their obligations under IHL, which serve as a critical tool in setting a universal standard for the protection of people in conflict zones. The UK takes private action to complement our public statements in the UN Security Council via direct lobbying with relevant parties.