New York, June 18, 2026 - A meeting of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is being held at UN Headquarters, traditionally serving as a key international platform for discussing ways to coordinate emergency humanitarian assistance, respond to global crises, and protect civilians in conflict zones.

Within the framework of this event, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN, Kairat Umarov, delivered a joint statement on behalf of the six founding states of the Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law – Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa.

In their statement, the member states of the Initiative focus attention on the critical situation regarding the protection of civilians in zones of armed conflict and call on all parties to strictly adhere to the norms of international law.

“Human suffering and destruction are largely the result of the gap between compliance with commitments under international humanitarian law and the realities on the ground. Bridging this gap requires the international community's commitment to the universal, non-selective, and equitable application of international humanitarian law in all armed conflicts,” K. Umarov emphasized.

Concluding the speech, the hosting of a high-level international conference titled “Humanity in War”, scheduled for December 7, 2026, in Amman, capital of Jordan, was announced.

Forum participants noted that the joint initiative of the six states has been a great success and has become a unifying factor for states with widely differing political vectors. To date, 113 countries have already officially joined the Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law, and representatives from more than 160 states have taken an active part in intergovernmental consultations.

The promotion of this Global Initiative directly reflects the foreign policy course of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who consistently advocates for strict compliance with the UN Charter and the norms of international humanitarian law. According to the Head of State, amid growing global turbulence, it is precisely the rule of international law and the protection of the civilian population that must become the foundation for resolving any global crises.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-kazakhstanun/press/news/details/1243657?lang=ru