Despite several positive developments in the Council, Croatia remains extreme...

Despite several positive developments in the Council, Croatia remains extremely concerned about the severity and prevalence of attacks on civilians, especially women and children. The Council has a responsibility to respond to situations of armed conflict where humanitarian assistance is being deliberately obstructed, not merely by calling on the parties involved to allow unimpeded passage to relief, but also by imposing targeted measures in grave instances of the wilful impediment of the delivery of such supplies. The Council needs to provide strong and effective leadership on this issue, including by taking concrete action when necessary, with the ultimate aim of ending mass atrocities. We thus support the international community's increased preparedness to take collective action through the Security Council when national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from violations of humanitarian law.