Mr. President,

I should like to begin by extending the Indonesian delegation's appreciation to the Secretary-General for submitting his report on the Protection for Humanitarian Assistance to Refugees and Others in Conflict Situations, and to you for convening the meeting today on this issue. In our view, this is an issue of critical importance to the international community, particularly in the post Cold-War era, when refugees, peace-keepers and personnel for humanitarian assistance are, sometimes, in conflict situations, have risked their security and lives. Indonesia has noted various aspects of the Report especially those relating to the protection of personnel which warrant our serious consideration. The Report also defines the role of the international community in preventing the risk of humanitarian catastrophe due either to economic difficulties or the shortage of basic humanitarian needs.

Indonesia has in the past not only supported concerted international efforts in alleviating the miseries of people caught in conflicts but also has contributed to numerous peace-keeping operations and related activities. In this context, the UN, in the interests of objectivity and impartiality, should play a greater role as the coordinator of humanitarian assistance, and should base its activities on the guiding principles contained in UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182. It is also our view, that many of the issues included in the Security Council's agenda have a humanitarian dimension, where refugees and other displaced persons are the victims of conflicts and the environment is always ever more hostile when they are denied humanitarian assistance and protection. Refugees, displaced persons and other civilians in conflict situations have a fundamental right under international humanitarian law for humanitarian assistance. Therefore, it is a daunting yet sacred task for humanitarian workers and their agencies to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance. As the UN General Assembly resolution 46/182 has affirmed, "humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality". In our perception, humanity implies humanitarian action to relieve the suffering and to introduce fundamental values, namely, life and human dignity, while neutrality implies a refusal to take sides in hostilities, and impartiality as providing individuals with their basic needs, irrespective of their affiliation to any groups or factions.

Hence, a prerequisite for effective humanitarian action is respect for these principles and the imperative of alleviating human suffering by mitigating the effects of conflict. Failure to uphold such principles will put in jeopardy the human lives, including those of humanitarian workers. In the same vein, the use of humanitarian assistance could also be the tool to achieve political objectives by the parties concerned. For us, the political objective should be to defuse the conflict, while humanitarian actions must not lose their impartiality. In order to remain effective and preserve its independence and neutrality, humanitarian actions should be kept distinct from that of political or military activities.

My delegation views the relationship and cooperation between peace-keeping and humanitarian operations as complex. They are also undoubtedly complementary. However, as clearly expressed by the Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Countries at their recent meeting in Durban, South Africa, it is essential to make a distinction between humanitarian action and UN peacekeeping and peace enforcement, which is a view also shared by numerous humanitarian agencies.

In situations where decisions would be taken by the Security Council to deploy humanitarian operations, the Council should consider measures for the protection of humanitarian workers, and also take steps to ensure the impartiality of humanitarian agencies.

We would also like to stress that while extending humanitarian assistance, concerns for the respect of national laws of the countries should be taken into account. Turning to paragraph 16 of the report which refers to the denial by states for access and defend such actions by invoking the principle of national sovereignty in matters deemed essentially within their domestic jurisdiction, it is essential to recognize the sacrosanct principles of independence and territorial integrity which may not enable states from fulfilling their responsibilities to refugees and others in conflict situations. Nonetheless, the international community should ensure that victims receive assistance and protection they need to safeguard their lives. In countries where humanitarian personnel are operating and in order to allow them to perform efficiently their task of assisting the affected civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced persons, they should respect the national laws of the countries.

The Indonesian Delegation once again would like to convey its appreciation for the Secretary- General's Report and pledges its cooperation to achieve the objectives contained therein and to ensure the smooth and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and safety of personnel.

Thank you.