Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Rejected
Establish a roster of independent experts to investigate IHL breaches.
Recommendation
We recommend that the UK works with other willing members of the Ministerial Group on the Safety of Humanitarian Workers to establish a roster of independent legal experts and expert investigators who can support the criminal investigations of suspected breaches of IHL. (Recommendation, Paragraph 48)
Government Response Summary
The government explicitly rejects establishing a new roster of independent legal experts and investigators, stating it will continue to prioritise support to existing accountability mechanisms instead.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Reject. We agree that accountability is critical for violations of IHL, including attacks on aid workers. The UK remains committed to promoting compliance with IHL and supporting accountability efforts, including through existing mechanisms and initiatives. As noted in paragraph 11, the UK’s focus is on supporting existing accountability mechanisms, including domestic, where governments are best placed to tackle impunity. The UK supports the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the primary international court for investigating and prosecuting individuals charged with the most serious crimes of international concern. The UK also supports various UN mechanisms to collect, preserve and analyse information and evidence relating to violations and abuses of human rights and IHL, as noted in paragraph 49. Furthermore, the UK already provides significant support and expertise to international and domestic accountability processes for serious international crimes, including the provision of police officers to the ICC, and deployment of expert advisers. We will continue to prioritise support to existing, effective mechanisms and do not agree to establishing a new roster of independent legal experts and expert investigators.