He made the statement at a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue of protecting humanitarian workers in armed conflicts held on July 16.
Ambassador Quy condemned acts of assault and violence against humanitarian and UN personnel, calling on all parties to armed conflicts to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and essential infrastructure facilities, as well as keep humanitarian workers safe, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.
It is also necessary to uphold the core humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence in order to build trust within host communities and among conflict parties, he said, adding similarly, the principles of sovereignty and non-interference, along with domestic law, must be fully respected.
He emphasised that the primary responsibility to protect civilians rests with the state, while calling for efforts to enhance local resilience, reduce the humanitarian need and address the root causes of armed conflicts.
