Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Lack of leadership in condemning IHL abuses, despite UK's strong position to lead.
Conclusion
There is encouraging collaboration by a select few UN Member States that are promoting adherence to IHL and, in particular, the protection of aid workers. Yet there is a lack of comprehensive leadership across all aspects of IHL by a single Member State and a willingness to expose and publicly condemn flagrant abuses of IHL. This is challenging when traditional allies or leading world powers may be involved, but inconsistent application of IHL will be to its long-term detriment if IHL-conscious nations don’t make the appropriate interventions. The UK is well positioned to lead this endeavour to uphold IHL and the particular obligations in relation to humanitarian access and the protection of aid workers. This is a significant opportunity for the UK in a 0.3% foreign aid budget world, given that sharing expertise costs very little. In fact, it is one of the few areas where aid budget cuts need not have an impact and the UK could maintain and enhance its position as a world leader. (Conclusion, Paragraph 13)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees on the vital role of local organisations in humanitarian access negotiations and describes its commitment to leveraging UK influence to include them, and its funding of the Centre for Competence on Humanitarian Negotiations.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
16. We agree that the UK must continue to draw upon all available levers including diplomatic influence, multilateral engagement, and ODA to enhance UK impact at a time of global funding cuts. 17. Enhancing adherence to IHL, humanitarian access, and the protection of aid workers are urgent global challenges that no single state can solve alone. But the UK is determined to play its full part – through leadership, partnership and practical action. We’re tackling these issues at every level, using the full breadth of UK influence. 18. The UK systematically uses diplomatic tools to encourage parties to consent to humanitarian relief operations, facilitate unimpeded access, protect civilians including humanitarian aid workers, and comply with their relevant obligations under international law. We take both public and private action. 19. This includes work to strengthen global rules and commitments in partnership with other Member States, as highlighted by the committee. The UK helps to secure progress through UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) including by co-sponsoring UNSCR 2730 on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. In addition, the UK is an active member of global initiatives like the proposed Australian-led Political Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which the UK is helping to promote, and the ICRC’s Global IHL Initiative where the UK is co-chairing one of the seven workstreams (on National IHL Committees).
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