The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called on all parties to conflict to comply with their obligations under international law to protect civilians.
The call came as the Security Council held its annual day-long open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. At the debate, the Security Council was briefed that while civilians continue to suffer because parties to the conflict choose to ignore their legal obligation to protect them, adhering to the rules of war and enforcing accountability when they are broken can produce a different result.
Edem Wosornu, director of the Crisis Response Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said one civilian was killed approximately every 14 minutes in 2025.
“Protecting civilians in armed conflict is not charity. It is the minimum that humanity and civilian civilization require. It is central to peace and security. It is the responsibility of this Council and of every Member State that signed the United Nations Charter, and it is what many people around the world expect the Member States of the United Nations to do. It cannot be outsourced. It cannot be postponed. It cannot be diluted. It is the choice we have to make now,” said Wosornu.
The United Nations recorded over 37,000 civilian deaths across 20 armed conflicts last year, compared to the 36,000 civilian deaths recorded across 14 armed conflicts in 2024.
Addressing the debate, Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said “Wars fought without rules transform wars between combatants into wars against civilians. In recent weeks, I have undertaken several missions to the Middle East, where the impact of conflict on civilians is painfully clear. But brutal patterns of warfare are becoming pervasive across regions from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa, to eastern Europe, and beyond. We can no longer pretend that what we are witnessing across war zones is in accordance with the law.”
Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said at the debate that civilians are the biggest victims of armed conflict, underlining the need to promote the political settlement of hotspot issues and eliminate the threat of violence to security.
It is an obligation that all parties must fulfill in accordance with international humanitarian law, he said, adding that any double standards or selective application are unacceptable.
“The world today is rife with turmoil and escalating conflicts, claiming countless innocent lives and tearing families apart. The secretary-general’s report indicates that more than 20 conflicts worldwide this year have resulted in at least 37,000 civilian deaths and displaced over 100 million people. This harsh reality once again warns us that we must act with greater urgency and stronger measures to protect civilians,” said Fu.
UN Security Council calls on all parties to conflict to protect civilians
A total of 82 people have been confirmed dead while two others remained missing after a coal mine gas explosion in north China’s Shanxi Province on Friday, officials said at a press conference on Saturday.
Another 128 people were receiving treatment in hospitals, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition.
“A gas explosion hit the Liushenyu coal mine, owned by Tongzhou Group, in Qinyuan County at 19:29 on Friday, with 247 people working underground at the time. As of the press conference, 82 people had been confirmed dead, and two remained missing. The search and rescue have been underway. Another 128 people were injured and hospitalized, while 35 were uninjured and had returned home,” said Chen Xiangyang, mayor of Changzhi City, which administers Qinyuan.
Officials at the press conference attributed the initial inaccurate figures to chaos at the scene and the company’s failure to provide the accurate headcount of workers on duty.
Toxic and harmful gases under the mine shaft have exceeded safe limits for a long time, posing a risk of secondary disasters.
Chen told the press conference that the company involved in the coal mine explosion had been found to have “serious violations of laws and regulations,” and that those responsible for the company had been placed under control. The company’s coal mines have ceased production for safety overhaul, said Chen.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, he added.
North China coal mine explosion leaves 82 dead, 2 missing
