On May 25, 2017, the Security Council held a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The meeting focused broadly on the protection of civilians agenda as outlined in the Secretary-General’s 2017 Protection of Civilians annual report and on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2286.
Save the Children and Watchlist delivered a joint statement at a side event on the same day focused on the protection of health care in armed conflict hosted by Egypt, New Zealand, Spain, and Uruguay. In a joint-statement, Save the Children and Watchlist called upon Member States to take concrete steps to implement Security Council Resolution 2286, in part by calling upon the Secretary-General to uphold the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1998. Security Council Resolution 1998 instructs the Secretary-General to list parties to the conflict who attack or threaten to attack hospitals or schools in the annual report on children and armed conflict, and as such provides an important accountability mechanism for Security Council Resolution 2286. In the coming weeks and months, Watchlist will continue its research thematically focused on attacks on medical facilities and personnel and corresponding advocacy for strengthened implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1998 and 2286.
