The Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), Senator Dr. Mohammad Halaiqah (Jordan), reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to the protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian assistance at the World Humanitarian Summit Regional Consultation for the Middle East and North Africa, held at the Dead Sea, Jordan, from 3-5 March 2015.
This consultation was part of a larger process launched by the UN Secretary General, involving all regions of the planet, preparing for the World Humanitarian Summit that will be hosted by Turkey, in Istanbul, in 2016.
The Summit took place in the context of a region experiencing intolerable human suffering and unprecedented levels of vulnerability. The Middle East and North Africa region have witnessed a substantial rise in humanitarian crises, as countries experience significant political, economic and social upheaval as well as the effects of natural disasters and rapid urbanization. The protracted nature of these crises has undermined development gains and challenged the ability of governments and communities to cope with shocks and address the impact of ongoing conflicts.
Sen. Dr. Halaiqah referred to the initiative adopted by the 9th Plenary Session in Monaco, to create a mechanism for a PAM Rapid Crisis Response Team, which will focus on facilitating humanitarian assistance, respect for human rights, and civilian protection. Mr. Frej Fennich, Chief of the Section, Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, a keynote speaker in Monaco, praised and welcomed the initiative.
Sen. Halaiqah also called for MPs to play a key legislative role, side by side with Governments and the UN, to ensure that, all over the world, the perpetrators of crimes against civilians and targeting defenceless populations hostages of violent conflicts, be brought in front of justice and punished in an exemplary manner, in the respect of the Rule of Law, the Humanitarian Law, and the Geneva Conventions.
PAM Vice-President recalled also the high level missions in the Middle East, including Gaza and Syria, where discussions were held with Government, parliamentary authorities and UN Agencies in order to coordinate and facilitate the flows and distribution of humanitarian aid to the population in these conflict areas.
PAM Vice-President, Hon. Halaiqah expressed the Assembly’s support to the final conclusions of the Conference, which included calls to reform the current humanitarian architecture and its ways of operating to ensure greater protection and assistance to people in need and reaffirming the humanitarian imperative of saving lives and alleviating human suffering.