Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I am standing in front of you today with a broken heart, but also with a sense of gratitude and urgency.
A broken heart because too many times I had to write condolence letters to the families of our Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff killed in the line of duty. Every day, they wear our Red Cross and Red Crescent emblem with a simple yet profound purpose: to help people and protect their dignity, without discrimination. But too often they pay the highest price for their courage and dedication.
Gratitude, because the launch of the Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel is a clear affirmation by states and by all of us here today that the lives of those who serve humanity matter. It is a clear signal that we will not remain silent in the face of appalling and record-breaking pattern of attacks.
Urgency, because we know that words alone will not protect humanitarians from bullets, bombs and attacks. We need states to fulfil their obligations to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel.
In the past year alone, too many of our colleagues across the humanitarian community have been injured, detained, or killed while helping others.
So far in 2025, over 99% of humanitarian personnel killed were local/national staff and volunteers – the backbone of our humanitarian action.
Each one of these lives is not just a number - it is a tragedy for their families, for their communities, and for our shared humanity.
The launch of this Declaration is a solemn promise.
A promise that those who commit their lives to helping others will themselves be protected.
A promise that the international community will not look away when access is denied and when humanitarian principles are violated.
A promise that states will uphold their obligations under international law and ensure accountability when humanitarian aid workers are attacked.
But protection is not achieved in conference halls. It requires political will, respect for international humanitarian law, and concrete action at every level. This is what we hope to see from all of you here.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, together with our 191 National Societies and 16 million volunteers, stands ready to work with governments, the United Nations, and all partners to turn the momentum generated by this Declaration into concrete action for real and lasting protection.
By hosting the Secretariat for the Group of Friends on Protection of Humanitarian Personnel at our headquarters in Geneva, we are dedicating ourselves to ensuring that this Declaration becomes a living instrument - an instrument towards strengthening protection, fostering accountability, and bringing the voices of humanitarian personnel into the heart of global policy.
In addition, through our Red Family Fund, we provide vital financial support to our volunteers and staff who are killed in the line of duty. While honouring their dedication and courage, we want to ensure that their families are not left behind. It is our sincere hope that the day will soon come when this fund is no longer needed.
To those who wear the emblem of humanity in disasters, in conflict settings and in forgotten crises: this declaration is for you.
May it mark not just words on paper, but a renewed global commitment to ensure that your dedication to humanity is honoured with the safety and dignity you deserve.
Excellencies, let us make sure that this declaration is a step towards a world where no one is harmed for choosing to stand on the side of humanity.
Thank you.