Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41094 on Aid Workers: Armed Conflict, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of UN Security Council Resolution 2730 in protecting those Humanitarian Aid workers in areas of conflict and instability.

The scale and severity of threats to humanitarian aid workers is alarming. The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2730 to draw attention to the protection of humanitarian aid workers, including protection for national personnel who often face higher risks, and to request the UN Secretary General to update the UN Security Council (UNSC) annually on progress to protect humanitarian personnel.

Under the auspices of UNSCR 2730, in November 2024 the UK invited the Aid Worker Security Database founder to brief the council on the scale of the issue. In April 2025, the UK called for investigations into the tragic deaths of Palestinian Red Crescent Society staff and called on Israel to support the search for a missing staff member.

We also use our seat at the UNSC to condemn specific incidents, including: the attack on Zamzam refugee camp in Sudan; the tragic deaths of World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza; and incidents in Ukraine.

The UK has also joined an Australian-led Foreign Ministers' initiative to develop a political declaration to enhance protection for humanitarian personnel and complement UNSCR 2730 by galvanising collective action.