South Africa is fully committed to the protection of civilians in armed confl...

South Africa is fully committed to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and continues to support a strengthened normative and legal framework for enhancing such protection measures. We welcome the concerted efforts of the international community to protect civilians in armed conflict. Despite such positive efforts and the progressive steps that are being taken, scores of civilians in many regions of the world are still harmed or maimed during armed conflicts, from Afghanistan to Somalia to Libya to Côte d'Ivoire. In this regard, we regret deeply that civilians, in particular women and children, continue to account for the vast majority of casualties in armed conflicts.