United Nations Security Council Resolution 1674
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1674, adopted unanimously on April 28, 2006, after reaffirming resolutions 1265
(1999) and 1296
(2000) concerning the protection of civilians in armed conflict and Resolution 1631
(2005) on co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations, the Council stressed a comprehensive approach to the prevention of armed conflict and its recurrence.
The resolution was adopted after six months of debate among Council members. It was the first time the Security Council had recognised a set of criteria to form a basis for humanitarian intervention in situations of armed conflict.
, acknowledging that peace
, security
, development and human rights
were the four interlinked pillars of the United Nations system. The Council regretted that civilians accounted for the majority of the victims during armed conflict, and was concerned about the impact of the illicit trade in natural resource
s and weapons on the population.
The text recognised the role of regional organisations in the protection of civilians, and the role of education
in preventing abuses against civilians was emphasised. It reaffirmed that all parties to armed conflict had an obligation to protect the civilian population.
, sustainable development, national reconciliation, good governance
, democracy
, the rule of law
, and respect for human rights. The deliberate targeting
of civilians during armed conflict was described as a "flagrant violation" of international humanitarian law
. Additionally, provisions of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document regarding the responsibility to protect
populations from genocide
, war crime
s, ethnic cleansing
and crimes against humanity
were reaffirmed. Torture
, sexual violence
, violence against children, the recruitment of child soldiers, human trafficking
, forced displacement and the denial of humanitarian aid
were also condemned by the Council.
The resolution continued by demanding that all parties to armed conflict adhere to the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the Geneva Conventions
, including Protocols I
and II
. It reaffirmed that impunity
should end and for all states to comply with their obligations in this respect, including—if they had not already done so—the ratification of international instruments relating to humanitarian, human rights and refugee
law. Furthermore, all countries had to comply with the demands of the Security Council.
The Security Council called for special attention to be given to the protection of civilian
s during peace processes in post-conflict situations, including an end to attacks on civilians, the provision of humanitarian assistance, creating conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced person
s, facilitating access to edcuation and training, re-establishing the rule of law and ending impunity. It was also important to maintain the civilian character of refugee camp
s and that United Nations peacekeeping missions had a clear mandate
to protect civilians, as well as the inclusion of disarmament
, demobilisation
and reintegration
programmes for ex-combatants.
In the latter paragraphs of the resolution, the members of the Council condemned all acts of sexual exploitation
by police, military and civilian personnel working for the United Nations, and attacks on humanitarian workers
. Meanwhile, it recognised the important role of regional and intergovernmental organisations in the protection of civilians. "Appropriate steps" would be adopted if the deliberate targeting of civilians and protected persons came to the attention of the Council.
Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was asked to report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict within 18 months.
, China
and Russia
had initially opposed the notion of collective responsibility, however Algeria's two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council came to end on December 31, 2005 and diplomats later overcame objections from China and Russia.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1674, adopted unanimously on April 28, 2006, after reaffirming resolutions 1265
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1265
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1265, adopted unanimously on September 17, 1999, in the first resolution to address the topic, the Council discussed the protection of civilians during armed conflict.-Observations:...
(1999) and 1296
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1296
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1296, adopted unanimously on April 19, 2000, after recalling Resolution 1265 , the Council discussed steps to enhance the protection of civilians during armed conflict.-Observations:...
(2000) concerning the protection of civilians in armed conflict and Resolution 1631
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1631
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1631, adopted unanimously on October 17, 2005, after recalling Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the Council addressed co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations in the maintenance of international peace and security.The...
(2005) on co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations, the Council stressed a comprehensive approach to the prevention of armed conflict and its recurrence.
The resolution was adopted after six months of debate among Council members. It was the first time the Security Council had recognised a set of criteria to form a basis for humanitarian intervention in situations of armed conflict.
Observations
In the preamble of the resolution, the members of the Council reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations CharterUnited Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
, acknowledging that peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, development and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
were the four interlinked pillars of the United Nations system. The Council regretted that civilians accounted for the majority of the victims during armed conflict, and was concerned about the impact of the illicit trade in natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s and weapons on the population.
The text recognised the role of regional organisations in the protection of civilians, and the role of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in preventing abuses against civilians was emphasised. It reaffirmed that all parties to armed conflict had an obligation to protect the civilian population.
Acts
The Security Council highlighted the importance of preventing armed conflict through a comprehensive approach involving economic growth, eradication of povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, sustainable development, national reconciliation, good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, and respect for human rights. The deliberate targeting
Targeted killing
Targeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
of civilians during armed conflict was described as a "flagrant violation" of international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
. Additionally, provisions of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document regarding the responsibility to protect
Responsibility to protect
The responsibility to protect is a norm or set of principles based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege, but a responsibility. RtoP focuses on preventing and halting four crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, which it places under the generic...
populations from genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s, ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
and crimes against humanity
Crime against humanity
Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, "are particularly odious offenses in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings...
were reaffirmed. Torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, sexual violence
Sexual violence
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world, although in most countries there has been little research conducted on the problem. Due to the private nature of sexual violence, estimating the extent of the problem is difficult...
, violence against children, the recruitment of child soldiers, human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
, forced displacement and the denial of humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
were also condemned by the Council.
The resolution continued by demanding that all parties to armed conflict adhere to the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
, including Protocols I
Protocol I
Protocol I is a 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. It reaffirms the international laws of the original Geneva Conventions of 1949, but adds clarifications and new provisions to accommodate developments in modern...
and II
Protocol II
Protocol II is a 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts. It defines certain international laws that strive to provide better protection for victims of internal armed conflicts that take place within the borders...
. It reaffirmed that impunity
Impunity
Impunity means "exemption from punishment or loss or escape from fines". In the international law of human rights, it refers to the failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a denial of the victims' right to justice and redress...
should end and for all states to comply with their obligations in this respect, including—if they had not already done so—the ratification of international instruments relating to humanitarian, human rights and refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
law. Furthermore, all countries had to comply with the demands of the Security Council.
The Security Council called for special attention to be given to the protection of civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s during peace processes in post-conflict situations, including an end to attacks on civilians, the provision of humanitarian assistance, creating conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s, facilitating access to edcuation and training, re-establishing the rule of law and ending impunity. It was also important to maintain the civilian character of refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s and that United Nations peacekeeping missions had a clear mandate
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
to protect civilians, as well as the inclusion of disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, demobilisation
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
and reintegration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
programmes for ex-combatants.
In the latter paragraphs of the resolution, the members of the Council condemned all acts of sexual exploitation
Sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian response
The sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries by humanitarian workers first came to public attention with the release of a report in February 2002 of a joint assessment mission looking into the issue...
by police, military and civilian personnel working for the United Nations, and attacks on humanitarian workers
Attacks on humanitarian workers
Humanitarian aid workers belonging to United Nations organisations, PVOs / NGOs or the Red Cross / Red Crescent have traditionally enjoyed both international legal protection, and de facto immunity from attack by belligerent parties. However, attacks on humanitarian workers have occasionally...
. Meanwhile, it recognised the important role of regional and intergovernmental organisations in the protection of civilians. "Appropriate steps" would be adopted if the deliberate targeting of civilians and protected persons came to the attention of the Council.
Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was asked to report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict within 18 months.
Adoption
AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
had initially opposed the notion of collective responsibility, however Algeria's two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council came to end on December 31, 2005 and diplomats later overcame objections from China and Russia.
See also
- Laws of warLaws of warThe law of war is a body of law concerning acceptable justifications to engage in war and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1601 to 1700 (2005 – 2006)
- List of ongoing military conflicts
- Responsibility to protectResponsibility to protectThe responsibility to protect is a norm or set of principles based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege, but a responsibility. RtoP focuses on preventing and halting four crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, which it places under the generic...