NGO Diplomacy: The lack of aid work protection afforded by state governments

Every year, DiploFoundation welcomes applicants to its Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy. This is a program aimed at working diplomats and international relations professionals with a view to training them in the theoretical and practical aspects, as well as the main issues and challenges, of contemporary diplomacy. The program enjoys close to 300 alumni and, every year, more than 15 students graduate from this program. This is a sample of some of the abstracts of the dissertations that were submitted during the last year, exhibiting the wide range of topics that are covered and researched in the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy.

Over the past five years, attacks on non-governmental personnel have increased around the world, with the consequence of aid workers being wounded, kidnapped or even killed. This dissertation analysed the adequacy of United Nations answers to this phenomenon, as the organization sought to improve security conditions for aid workers. Research showed that resolutions made by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) set overly ambitious targets and unrealistic timing, while suffering from budgetary constraints and lack of coordination for their implementation. Furthermore, political self-interest on the part of several countries, make NGO’s interests irrelevant for multiple governments. These shortcomings have led not only to UN incapacity to promote the improvement of security conditions of aid workers, but also to investigate alleged violations of obligations holding perpetrators accountable. The dissertation thus concludes that the UNSC has the responsibility to charge penalties when violations of the binding laws have taken place. When awareness is created and the prevention of aid work incidents is on the international political agenda, points of improvement on law enforcement, resolution draft and accountability can be addressed.