Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding International Humanitarian Law (+UN)

This was stated by the Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Joaquín Pérez Ay, during his speech at a high-level side event entitled “Humanitarian Diplomacy as a Safeguard of International Humanitarian Law”, held in New York, in connection with the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The diplomat pointed out that this event allows us to reflect on the role of diplomacy in the face of the current humanitarian challenges, in which a particularly complex international scenario is being experienced; given the proliferation of armed conflicts and the growing geopolitical tensions that cause human suffering.

He warned that structural inequalities, natural disasters, the effects of climate change and unilateral coercive measures can aggravate vulnerabilities and limit States' capacities to respond effectively to the needs of their populations.

In this regard, Pérez Ayrecalled that humanitarian diplomacy seeks to open communication channels, facilitate dialogue, promote humanitarian access and contribute to practical solutions that alleviate suffering and protect people's lives and dignity.

For this reason, it rejected the use of humanitarian diplomacy to justify interference in the internal affairs of States and coercive actions under humanitarian pretexts.

Finally, the Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs assured that the protection of the human person and respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and self-determination of peoples are not opposing objectives, so they must be mutually reinforcing.