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Minister of State Annen at the United Nations in New York
As part of the German membership of the United Nations Security Council, Niels Annen, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, is today (23 May) taking part in the open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, a debate initiated by the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno L.P. Marsudi. Minister of State Annen, together with the other members of the UN Security Council, is to meet with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to discuss how to strengthen international humanitarian law, particularly in current crises such as that in Syria. He will also have talks with representatives of the Secretariat of the United Nations.
Commenting on his trip, Minister of State Annen said:
Particularly as a member of the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020, Germany is committed to upholding and strengthening international humanitarian law. Given current crises including those in Syria, Yemen and Libya, this commitment is unfortunately more important than ever now, 70 years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions. We must not look on and do nothing as international law is gradually eroded.