23/09/2026
Today, at the sides of the UN General Assembly, Ministers and Humanitarian Leaders will meet in New York to discuss the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. A year on from the signing of the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, over 125 States have endorsed the declaration with more continuing to commit to reinforce IHL, strengthen accountability, facilitate humanitarian access and align on support to the safety and security of aid actors. Whilst this represents important political momentum - these commitments must translate into action. So far in 2026, States were responsible for 40% of serious security incidents against aid workers, exacerbated by the increasing proportion of arrests and detentions. As world leaders meet we reiterate the need for Member States to take concrete action to address this issue by:
1. Preventing the criminalisation of humanitarian action, including through humanitarian exemptions in counter-terrorism, sanctions and national security law.
2. Reaffirming the humanitarian nature of information collection and analysis.
3. Reducing and streamlining bureaucratic and administrative impediments, and prohibiting informal fees, arbitrary fines and coercive use of procedure.
4. Strengthening detention preparedness and response, and support collective humanitarian diplomacy.
5. Addressing the permissive environment for detention, including disinformation and hostile narratives.
