20 | HUMANITY AMIDST CONFLICTS SOLIDARITY MESSAGE MR. ERNESTO A. ANASARIAS Convenor, CSI-IHL and Executive Director, Balay Rehabilitation Center Mr. Anasarias started his message with warm greetings to everyone and hoped that everybody is well. Henarrateda story about an armedconflict which happened in Pikit, North Cotabato not too long ago wherea little girl in an evacuation center civilians and non-combatants. The law,the legal madea big impression on humanitarian agencies. principlesofprimary State responsibility and the In a crowd of “bakwit” or internally displaced mandate of particular humanitarian agencies persons, this destitute but dignified girl stood over civilians are important legal protection in holding a placard. Onit was an inscription that war. read: “We needfood but we need safety most. I need to go backto school”. “However, people are not fully protected just because the law says that they are, and because Heidentified food and safety assistance, as two they identify authorities with the duty toprotect.” vital and integrally related components of Hesaid, in manywars, laws are frequently broken humanitarian action, is an old and obvious truth consciously and purposivelybyall sides including butis one thatis deeply difficult to realize. As we non-State armed groups. And in somewars,these journey to the 21* century, armed conflict and lawsare simply unknown andthey remain an open extreme violence against civilians have been question whether knowledge of them wouldaffect responsible for mass sufferings and deaths. the behaviourof the warring parties. Often, they are broken especially by those with the greatest Mr. Anasarias also emphasized that perhaps the responsibility for keeping them. In other easiest way ofunderstandingthe notionofcivilian situations, States that are willing to abide by these protection is to think about the people who need lawslack the power or meansto do so. it most, their experience of war, the laws that demandtheir protection and the authorities that Challenges are requiredto provideit. Thereal challenges in humanitarian protection work are not only legal ones per se but the “As we celebrate the 60" year of the signing of practical ones of ensuring responsibility, the Geneva Conventions, perhaps we need to provision and good conducton the ground.Itis pause andponder how muchofthese instruments the art of securingthe protectionof civilians that ofhumanitarian protection have made an impact is demandedbylaw from all those responsible in reducing, if not preventing the sufferings of for enforcing these laws.