At the opening of the Council, Mr Cassis reiterated the urgent need to place people centre stage – along with their dignity and freedom. Against the backdrop of violence raging in several parts of the world, he called on the international community to face its responsibility in bringing a halt to such conflicts, adding "the war in Ukraine is now entering its third year, the violence in the Middle East affecting Israelis and Palestinians appears to know no bounds, and almost eight million people have been forcibly displaced by the crisis in Sudan."
