International Conference on the Protection of Humanitarian Aid Workers

Every day, they bring assistance, protection and hope to people impacted by conflict, disaster and crisis. They work in some of the most complex and insecure environments, often at great personal risk, driven by a commitment to helping people in need in their own communities and beyond.

Their courage, expertise and dedication are what make it possible to save lives and to restore dignity, shelter and livelihoods. Without local, national and international aid workers and volunteers, there is simply no humanitarian assistance.

Yet, humanitarians are increasingly the targets of attacks. 2025 was the worst year on record for security and safety incidents affecting aid workers. 1,187 aid workers were killed, injured, kidnapped or detained. This is unacceptable.

Every attack on a clinic, every convoy that cannot pass, every worker who is threatened, detained or killed is an attack on the communities depending on assistance. It is also an attack on our common values, and long-accepted humanitarian principles and norms.

Concern without action will not provide the safety and security on which humanitarian action depends.

This is why Ireland, during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission are joining forces to host an International Conference on the Protection of Aid Workers. The Conference will be an opportunity to learn from humanitarians and ensure that their experiences shape our collective response.

We want this to be a conference of concrete and pragmatic steps as much as of solidarity, and of solutions as much as testimony. That cannot be done by frontline responders alone. We all have a role to play, starting with listening to aid workers and ensuring they have the tools, support, and protection needed to carry out their work safely.

We come with more than good intentions. The EU's Protect Aid Workers (PAW) programme — announced in the Joint Communication on Humanitarian Action in May 2026 — will become a permanent and global mechanism — a lasting support rather than an emergency measure.

This Conference is an opportunity for collective action to reverse the alarming trends and to ensure that the commitment and determination of aid workers and volunteers are met with meaningful protection mechanisms, accountability, and decisive political action.