European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the Annual Ambassadors Conference Brussels, 13 March 2026 Power politics. Might makes right. Transactions. Realpolitik. Spheres of influence. Hard power. The law of the jungle. These are the words we hear to describe today's world. But when I hear them, I do not think of geopolitics. I think of the women and children I have met fro...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the Annual Ambassadors Conference Brussels, 13 March 2026 Power politics. Might makes right. Transactions. Realpolitik. Spheres of influence. Hard power. The law of the jungle. These are the words we hear to describe today's world. But when I hear them, I do not think of geopolitics. I think of the women and children I have met from Palestine, Sudan, the DRC, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Colombia. I think of the people who suffer most when power replaces principle. I also think of all of you in this room because you stand on the front line of diplomacy in this new world. You see how geopolitical decisions can tear through the lives of ordinary people. You see what happens when international law collapses, when humanitarian access is blocked, and when civilians are left unprotected. Let me start by saying thank you for the work you do, often far from the spotlight, to help people living through the darkest moments of their lives. Today there are more than 130 active conflicts around the world. In most of them, violations of international humanitarian law are not the exception. They are the norm. From world leaders, we increasingly hear the language of raw power. But when you visit the places where those words land, as I often do, the reality looks very different. You see a child starving. An amputation without anaesthesia. A school bombed to rubble. A humanitarian truck blocked at a checkpoint. A funeral for an aid worker. A woman whose body has become a battlefield. Today the rules to protect human life are brushed away like an unwelcome house guest. Humanitarian access is used as a bargaining chip. Aid workers are targeted. The humanitarian system is even under attack, as the needs skyrocket. But one thing is clear. The European Union will always be guided by the principles of International Humanitarian Law: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. We believe in cooperation between nations, and we will always stand by people caught in war. This is not up for debate. Some say this language sounds old-fashioned, too idealistic, too naïve. I don't believe that. These principles are not relics of the past. They are the foundation of our Union. Europe was built precisely to replace the law of the jungle with the rule of law. We must defend these principles. If we start watering them down, we slide down a dangerous slope, and Europe knows where that leads. We have seen that darkness before. The real question is this: in today's world, how do we stay true to our principles and still get aid to the people who need it most? Too often humanitarian crises are expected to be solved by humanitarians alone. That is simply not realistic. Humanitarian workers cannot negotiate peace deals on their own. They cannot force armed soldiers to open borders to let aid through. That requires political leverage, humanitarian diplomacy, and the diplomatic skills of all of you here today. Humanitarian diplomacy means using every political and diplomatic channel to create space for aid to reach people. Sometimes that means negotiating humanitarian corridors. Sometimes it means pushing authorities to respect international humanitarian law. Sometimes it means sitting face to face with de facto authorities, speaking with them, and building trust. Today humanitarian aid has become a weapon of war. Food is controlled. Access is blocked. Medical care is withheld. Humanitarian diplomacy only works when everyone plays their role: humanitarians delivering, politicians negotiating, and diplomats helping to open doors with authorities and increasing access to civilians. Later this year, we will present a new humanitarian communication, including Humanitarian Diplomacy and respect for International Humanitarian Law. It will also highlight your crucial work. Ambitious humanitarian diplomacy was at the heart of my recent visit to the Great Lakes region. In Kinshasa, Bujumbura, Kigali, and Goma. I went there with a humanitarian mandate, knowing the risks, taking full responsibility. I had three clear goals: to engage all parties to the conflict, to push for respect of international humanitarian law, and to secure humanitarian access. I spoke with the Presidents of the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda, with ministers, and with representatives of M23. I reminded them of their responsibilities and told them what I saw with my own eyes. The immense needs in refugee camps and hospitals. I asked for concrete commitments, and I came back with concrete results. Kinshasa and Goma agreed to establish a southern humanitarian corridor from Bukavu to Uvira and beyond. For communities cut off for months, this corridor is a lifeline. Our ECHO offices and the EU delegations play a crucial role. Their experience, their knowledge of the local context, and their coordination on the ground made the difference. Now these commitments must turn into real relief for people on the ground. We will follow this closely with the EU Special Representative and our delegations. Today our thoughts are also with Karine Buisset, a humanitarian worker with UNICEF killed in Goma on Wednesday. She devoted her life to helping others, and she died saving lives. This is unacceptable, and tragically it is far too common. We see the same crimes against humanitarian workers in Gaza. Nearly 600 humanitarian workers have been killed since October 2023. They are protected under international humanitarian law, yet they are dying in unprecedented numbers. If this continues, Gaza will become not only the graveyard of humanitarian workers, but the graveyard of international humanitarian law. The scale of suffering is unacceptable. More than 80 percent of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Border crossings remain largely closed, and humanitarian aid cannot reach people in desperate need. Sudan is another place where access has become a weapon of war. The humanitarian catastrophe has lasted more than one thousand days, and it is getting worse. Millions displaced, families going hungry, entire communities trapped without basic services. The EU continues to push for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a civilian transition. Those who block aid and commit atrocities must be held accountable. Our EU delegations in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye are working together to push for humanitarian access. Last year the EU Ambassador travelled to Khartoum with the Director-General of DG ECHO and the UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner. Just recently, the Ambassador and our ECHO Head of Office went together to Port Sudan. This kind of teamwork makes a real difference because only a political solution will stop the suffering. Now let me turn to the dangerous escalation in Iran and the broader Middle East. The EU has moved fast to bring home thousands of Europeans through our Civil Protection Mechanism, thanks to the strong coordination between our delegations and Member States. This war is having a dramatic impact on the humanitarian situation across the region. We see it in Iran and in Lebanon, where hundreds have been killed, and hundreds of thousands displaced. This war will scar the Middle East for years to come. International Humanitarian Law must be respected by all sides. When critical infrastructure collapses, the suffering does not stop when the bombs stop. When schools, hospitals, museums, and archaeological sites are attacked, a country's identity is attacked. It can take generations to recover. It makes me think of the children I have met over the past year in Zaatari Camp in Jordan, in Cox Bazar in Bangladesh, and in many other refugee camps. These children have known nothing but war, displacement, and camps. For many of them, the road to recovery will take a lifetime. Around the world, nearly 240 million people depend on humanitarian aid to survive. At the same time, the humanitarian system is under unprecedented pressure, while major donors are cutting their funding. The European Union has made a clear choice: we will step forward, not step back. Today the EU is the world's largest humanitarian donor. This year alone, our initial global humanitarian budget is nearly €2 billion. This is a great responsibility. A responsibility to defend humanitarian principles and to use every diplomatic channel to protect civilians. At the heart of our work lies one guiding principle: International Humanitarian Law. It is not à la carte. You cannot pick the rules you like and ignore the rest. It must be respected, always and everywhere. These rules exist for one reason: to protect human life in the chaos of war. Under my watch, we will continue to defend this legacy through advocacy, diplomacy, and funding. Allow me to end with one reflection. International Humanitarian Law is the strongest shield we have to protect human life in war. But it also protects global stability. When civilians are attacked, when aid is blocked, when international law collapses, conflicts spread. Battlefields bleed across borders. They bring displacement, instability, and the risk of failed states. Defending international humanitarian law is a moral duty, a legal obligation, and a strategic necessity. I will continue to speak out against grave violations, no matter where they occur, no matter who commits them. SPEECH/26/607
Speech Brief