A/RES/59/211 Conventions of 12 August 1949 2 and the obligations applicable to them under the Additional Protocols thereto, of 8 June 1977, 3 to ensure the security and protection of all humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its associated personnel, Welcoming the fact that the number of States parties to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, 4 which entered into force on 15 January 1999, has continued to rise, the number now having reached seventyseven, and mindful of the need to promote universality of the Convention, Deeply concerned by the dangers and security risks faced by humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its associated personnel at the field level, as they operate in increasingly complex contexts, as well as the continuous erosion, in many cases, of respect for the principles and rules of international law, in particular international humanitarian law, Expressing profound regret at the deaths of international and national humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its associated personnel involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance, and strongly deploring the rising toll of casualties among such personnel in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed conflicts and in post-conflict situations, Strongly condemning acts of murder and other forms of violence, rape and sexual assault and all forms of violence committed in particular against women, and intimidation, armed robbery, abduction, hostage-taking, kidnapping, harassment and illegal arrest and detention to which those participating in humanitarian operations are increasingly exposed, as well as attacks on humanitarian convoys and acts of destruction and looting of property, Commending the courage and commitment of those who take part in humanitarian operations, often at great personal risk, especially of locally recruited staff, Expressing concern that the occurrence of attacks and threats against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and its associated personnel is a factor that increasingly restricts the ability of the Organization to provide assistance and protection to civilians in fulfilment of its mandate under the Charter, Recalling the inclusion of attacks intentionally directed against personnel involved in a humanitarian assistance or peacekeeping mission in accordance with the Charter as a war crime in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 5 and noting the role that the Court could play in appropriate cases in bringing to justice those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law, Reaffirming the need to ensure adequate levels of safety and security for United Nations personnel and its associated humanitarian personnel, which constitutes an underlying duty of the Organization, and mindful of the need to promote and enhance the security consciousness within the organizational culture of the United Nations and a culture of accountability at all levels, _______________ 2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973. Ibid., vol. 1125, Nos. 17512 and 17513. 4 Ibid., vol. 2051, No. 35457. 5 See Official Records of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, Rome, 15 June–17 July 1998, vol. I: Final documents (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.I.5), sect. A. 3 2