BCC’s evidence reflected in House of Commons Committee report on humanitarian aid

Professor Ioana Cismas (University of York), the Principal Investigator of the Beyond Compliance Consortium and one of the authors of evidence, noted that: “The Committee adopted in its report several of our recommendations, including urging the UK government to consistently and meaningfully (re)affirm humanitarian norms in discourse and practice across all contexts, and to strengthen and reaffirm its commitment to international courts and institutions.” Importantly, in their report, the Members of Parliament forming this cross-party committee note that the “Government must be ready to call out actions not only when a blatant breach of IHL has been ruled on by a court, but when the spirit of IHL is being eroded.” This echoes strongly with one of the main conceptual findings of the Beyond Compliance Consortium’s research that misinterpretation and side-stepping of IHL, suspected violations, and civilian harm and humanitarian need that might go beyond IHL regulations should be accounted for to effectively ensure full(er) protection in war.

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The Beyond Compliance Consortium is an academic-practitioner research partnership led by the University of York in co-production with the University of Glasgow and Utrecht University and six human rights and humanitarian organisations – Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, War Child Alliance, IHL Centre, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Centre on Armed Groups and Fight for Humanity. Funded with UK International Development from the UK government, the Consortium develops the research “Building Evidence for Promoting Restraint by Armed Actors”. 

Consult the written evidence submitted to the House of Commons International Development Committee by Beyond Compliance Consortium researchers: Prof. Ioana Cismas (University of York), Dr Katharine Fortin (University of Utrecht), Emilie Fitzsimons (IHL Centre), Dr Ezequiel Heffes (formerly with Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict), Stephen Wilkinson (IHL Centre), Rocco Blume (War Child Alliance) and Dr Rebecca Sutton (University of Glasgow), Strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law and improving humanitarian access – Building evidence and strategies for action and change, 8 February 2025, (HAA0036).

Consult the Committee’s report: House of Commons, International Development Committee, Protection not permission: the UK’s role in upholding international humanitarian law and supporting the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, Fifth Report of Session 2024–25, HC 526.