UK lawmakers call for action at Istanbul summit

This month's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul is an opportunity to ensure international law is better respected worldwide, British lawmakers have said.

The House of Commons' International Development Committee said the U.K. government should use forthcoming summit, hosted by Turkey, to ensure countries agree that international humanitarian law is upheld.

The committee – a group of lawmakers from all U.K. parties – published a list of six priorities for the summit that it said would help countries work together better on humanitarian issues.

Committee chair Stephen Twigg said: “A great deal of preparation and consultation has gone into this summit, the first of its kind. There is recognition that the players involved need to get better at meeting the needs of people affected by conflict and disaster. But there is a distinct lack of agreement on what the priorities should be."

He added: “In a world where the lives of millions of people are devastated by wars and disasters, the global community is struggling to cope with demands on funds and support. There is a real urgency to develop a new approach to address current and future humanitarian needs more effectively."

The World Humanitarian Summit, convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will be held in Istanbul over two days on May 23-24.

Heads of state and government will be among the approximately 5,000 participants in attendance representing business, charities, NGOs and communities affected by conflict.