While the number of humanitarian aid workers injured, killed and kidnapped has reached record numbers in the past years, accountability for the victims and survivors remains extremely limited to non-existent. Strengthening effective access to justice for humanitarian personnel, specifically national and locally recruited personnel, is crucial  to combat impunity for attacks on humanitarian personnel and strengthen the broader protection of civilians in conflict zones.

Protect Humanitarians and Legal Action Worldwide co-organised a two-day workshop to bring together humanitarian actors, experts, and legal practitioners committed to improving accountability and combating impunity for attacks against humanitarian personnel. 

In the report you will find key insights from the workshop, including:

• Testimonies from survivors, lawyers and their organisations from Ukraine, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Palestine.
• Research findings and discussions on strategic litigation and legal remedies available to humanitarian personnel.
• Challenges and opportunities related to investigation, reporting and prosecution; access to legal services; victim- and survivor-centered justice and accountability; advocacy; preventing and responding to arbitrary detention; collaborative research, learning and training.
• Recommendations for the international community.

During the two days, discussions led to the identification of 6 priority recommendations:

1. Place victims and survivors voices at the center of efforts to protect humanitarian personnel.
2. Reinforce investigations, prosecutions, and efforts to hold alleged perpetrators accountable.
3. Ensure access to legal support by providing free, independent, and specialized legal information, assistance and representation to humanitarian personnel.
4. Scale up advocacy activities for the protection of humanitarian personnel.
5. Ensure a swift, efficient, and appropriate response to cases of arbitrary arrest and detention of humanitarian personnel.
6. Support the humanitarian sector, particularly local actors, to prevent and respond to violence against humanitarian personnel through research, training, and collaboration.

The full report is available HERE.

“Engaging in justice and accountability processes is an act of solidarity. Saying that an injustice has occurred and that there must be accountability essentially means acknowledging our shared humanity and recognising the humanity of the person who experienced the violation.”

Joseph Belliveau, Executive Director of MedGlobal

“The international community must make the unwavering commitment to ensure justice and accountability of the perpetrators through investigations, prosecutions, and measures to prevent future attacks.”

Hanin Ahmed, Founder of Old Omdurman Emergency Response Room