G7 Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Crises Compact

The Foreign and Development Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the USA, and the High Representative of the European Union agreed the first ever joint foreign and development communiqué during their meeting in London on 3 to 5 May 2021. The UK invited Australia, India, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to join the final day of the meeting as guests.

Read below a passage taken from the G7 famine prevention and humanitarian crises compact policy paper, which specifically refers to preventing sexual and gender-based violence in conflict and crises:

Promote humanitarian access, respect for international humanitarian law and protection of civilians

Humanitarian access must be guaranteed, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) respected, civilians (including medical and humanitarian workers), schools, hospitals and water infrastructure protected and the disproportionate impact of conflict on women, girls and marginalised groups addressed. Many of those obstructing humanitarian access and committing violations of IHL are not being held to account. Impunity will not be tolerated.

We, therefore, commit to:

  • work to improve collective action at the UN Security Council to address the use of starvation as a method of warfare, obstructions to humanitarian access and failures to protect civilians, using Resolutions 2417, 2286 and other relevant mechanisms

  • develop joint strategies at the country-level to influence the behaviour of parties to the conflict, addressing obstructions to humanitarian access and failures to comply with International Humanitarian Law which heighten inter alia the risk of famine

  • support action to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation, economic harm and health impacts experienced by women and girls in conflict and crises

  • renew our efforts to deliver the 2018 Toronto commitments on Promoting Implementation of International Humanitarian Law

 

Read the full G7 famine prevention and humanitarian crises compact here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/g7-foreign-and-development-m… 

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