Bishop of St Albans asks about the promotion of international humanitarian law

On 1st November 2024, the Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take in their capacity as penholder at the meeting of the UN Security Council meeting in November to promote international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to aid access and attacks on peacekeepers and health workers.

Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office): International Humanitarian Law (IHL) must be upheld, and civilians protected. The UK champions IHL and calls on all parties to a conflict to observe robust standards. We use every opportunity to ensure IHL compliance is a subject of international and multilateral discussions. During the UK Presidency of the United Nations Security Council in November, we will host a briefing on the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations on the protection of humanitarian personnel and assets. We condemn attacks on healthcare workers who are protected under IHL. The UK also signed a joint statement by UNIFIL contributing countries which condemned attacks on its peacekeepers and called for respect for international law.

Hansard