Kuwait urges protecting essential services providers in conflict areas

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (KUNA) -- Kuwait on Thursday called for protecting essential services providers in conflict areas, stressing the need of holding accountable violators.
This came in a speech delivered by Kuwait's Delegate to the UN Ambassador Tariq Al-Bannai during a ceremony held by Kuwait's Permanent Mission to the UN that focused on "Essential Services' Providers and Their Safety in Contemporary Armed Conflicts." The ceremony was held as part of the United Nations' annual International Law Weekend, taking place this year from October 27 to 31.
"Our discussion today does not address abstract theoretical principles, but rather focuses on the practical protection of engineers, technicians, water operators, electricians, sanitation teams, and healthcare workers who keep civilians alive when conflicts threaten to bring their daily lives to a halt," Al-Bannai noted.
Essential services providers are civilians that must be respected and protected, and enabled to achieve safely their mission, he noted.
International humanitarian law obliges parties to the conflict not to attack, destroy, or disrupt water facilities and other essential infrastructure, and to exercise constant care to ensure the safety of individuals responsible for maintaining these facilities, he said.
The UN Security Council affirmed these obligations in its resolution No. 2573 and the need of safeguarding civil infrastructure and those operate and reform it, he emphasized.
There are binding duties, and Kuwait's wide involvement boosts concentration on life-sustaining services.
He called for the protection of providers, practical implementation of law and holding accountable violators.
Kuwait has been ready to closely work with member states, UN agencies, humanitarian partners and civil society organizations to help service providers achieve safely their duties and ensure offering water, electricity, sewage and healthcare to those affected, Al-Banni pointed out.
The ceremony was organized by members of the Global Alliance to Spare Water from Armed Conflicts, in the presence of the Deputy Director of the Division of Field Operations (DFO) Florence Poussin, and Cordula Droege the chief legal officer and head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and others. (end) rsr.hss.hm