Safeguarding health: a global health and humanitarian priority

01/21/2015. In late December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly passed what may become a landmarkresolution calling for concerted and specific actions by States to protect health workers from violence and to assure patients access to health care in situations of conflict or insecurity.

Although the General Assembly had previously addressed the need for protection on humanitarian aid workers, it had never before called for specific actions to protect the human right to health in all situations of conflict and violence.

The resolution, grounded in both international human rights law and international humanitarian law, was sponsored by Norway and other members the Global Health and Foreign Policy Group (Brazil, France, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand) and co-sponsored by 62 states.

Read the article on the HPN website


Related Articles

ICRC president: As Ramadan ends, renewed effort needed in Syria and Iraq

07/04/2016. “Suffering in Syria and Iraq has reached ‘unprecedented levels’ and that many people are living in abject fear and terrifying uncertainty” – Peter Maurer –

McKay Interview: Yves Daccord, Director-General ICRC

06/13/2019. Michael and Yves discuss the organisation’s work, how its changed over the last few years, the impact of new technology and are the Geneva Conventions, which underpin the ICRC’s work, still valid in the 21st Century?

Humanitarian & Digital : The major turning point

Discover those 3 publications of this issue on the theme of Humanitarian & Digital