New York, August 3 – The United States, which holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council in August, said a total of 91 countries have signed a joint communique condemning the use of food as a weapon of war. The text was issued at a council meeting presided by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Following are the joint communique and the list of signatories published by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Ninety-One Countries Sign U.S.-Led Joint Communiqué Condemning the Use of Food as a Weapon of War
In a demonstration of solidarity and commitment, 91 UN Member States signed a U.S.-led joint communiqué pledging action to end the use of food as a weapon of war.
Roughly 345 million people – in 79 countries – face acute food insecurity, often caused or exacerbated by armed conflict.
Today’s joint communiqué was born out of the United States’ resolve to once again use its UN Security Council presidency to draw attention to conflict-induced food insecurity.
“We can deliver lifesaving aid to those in urgent need,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said during today’s UN Security Council High-Level Open Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity.
“We can ensure that people around the globe are fed, now and for years to come. If we do that, if we build a healthier, more stable, more peaceful world for all, we will have at least begun to live up to the responsibility entrusted to us, entrusted to this Council, entrusted to this institution.”
U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “In a world abundant with food, no one should starve to death – ever. This is a humanitarian issue, this is a moral issue, and this is a security issue. And we must address the most insidious driver of famine and food insecurity: conflict.”
Signatories
The following U.S.-led joint communiqué was signed by Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the European Union.
Text
Joint Communiqué Condemning the Use of Food as a Weapon of War
Today, 91 member states of the United Nations commit to addressing conflict-induced food insecurity, including famine, in situations of armed conflict against civilian populations.
The international community has long stood against starvation of civilians as a tactic of warfare. The two 1977 additional protocols to the Geneva Conventions, ratified by 174 and 169 states, respectively, prohibit starvation of civilians as a method of warfare or combat.
We, the undersigned, commit to take action to end the use of food as a weapon of war and the starvation of civilians as a tactic of warfare.
We reaffirm the primary responsibility of States to protect the population throughout their whole territory and the need for all parties to armed conflict to respect the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in the provision of humanitarian assistance.
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