United Nations Secretary General Guterres called on the 23rd for the international community to effectively fulfill its commitment to protect civilians caught in conflict and its obligations under international humanitarian law, ensuring that civilians are free from the suffering of war. Guterres said at the open debate of the Security Council on food security and the protection of civilians in armed conflict that day, "Civilians have long been fatally affected by armed conflict. Now is the time to fulfill our commitment to protect them." He called on the international community to take action to "break the deadly cycle of armed conflict and hunger. Guterres said that 94% of the victims of explosive weapons deployed in densely populated areas last year were civilians. In 2022, over 117 million people worldwide are facing severe hunger, with war and insecurity being the main culprits. Guterres also mentioned recent actions taken to alleviate the impact of conflicts on civilians in his speech. These actions indicate that some progress has been made in protecting civilians, but more efforts are still needed to address this "worrying" issue. Guterres said that in November last year, countries adopted the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilian Persons from the Humanitarian Consequences of the Use of Explosive Weapons in densely populated Areas. In addition, the Security Council passed a resolution in December last year aimed at preventing United Nations sanctions from harming civilians and impeding humanitarian operations. When it comes to the special responsibilities of the Security Council, Guterres said, "In places where war continues, all countries must comply with international humanitarian law, and each member of the Security Council has a special responsibility." He urged governments to incorporate international humanitarian law into their national laws, military rules, and training, ensure the safe passage of humanitarian workers, and stop attacks on them. (New News Agency)