UK Advocacy

EMERGENCY is at the forefront of the organisations engaged in the fight against explosive violence. Since 1994, EMERGENCY has provided medical care, rehabilitative support and vocational training to civilian victims of landmines and explosive weapons, which indiscriminately target innocent men, women, and children. In 1994 EMERGENCY also led a campaign against antipersonnel landmines, which led to the Italian government’s prohibition of their construction in Italy.

EMERGENCY UK is equally committed to promoting a culture of peace in the UK and is a proud partner of the APPG on Explosive Weapons, a cross-party group of British parliamentarians working together with civil society organisations to combat the use of landmines and IEDs.

THE PEOPLE’S VACCINES
Available to everyone, everywhere, free of charge

The People’s Vaccine is a growing movement of health and humanitarian organisations, past and present world leaders, health experts, faith leaders and economists urging that when safe and effective vaccines are developed they are produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge.

EMERGENCY UK is proud to be part of THE PEOPLE’S VACCINE, which calls on governments and pharmaceutical corporations to:

Ensure the vaccine is purchased at true cost prices and provided free of charge to people.

Prevent monopolies on vaccine and treatment production by making public funding for research and development conditional on research institutions and pharmaceutical companies freely sharing all information, data, biological material, know-how and intellectual property.

Ensure the vaccine is sold at affordable prices: Pricing must be transparent and based on the cost of research, development and manufacturing, as well as taking into account any public funding provided.

Implement fair allocation of the vaccine which prioritises health workers and other at-risk groups in all countries. Distribution among countries should be based on their population size. In-country vaccination programmes should include marginalised groups, including refugees, prisoners, and people living in slums and other crowded housing conditions. Allocation between and within countries should be based on need and not ability to pay.

Ensure full participation of governments in developing countries as well as civil society from north and south in decision-making fora about the vaccines (and other COVID-19 technologies) and ensure transparency and accountability of all decisions.

EMERGENCY UK has always advocated for access to free and high-quality healthcare for all. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare must include free and fair access to vaccines for everyone, everywhere.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Weapons

In June 2018, EMERGENCY UK was delighted to provide evidence for the APPG’s report to Parliament on the impact on explosive violence and victim assistance.

The report was the result of an inquiry undertook by the APPG to look into the reasons for the alarming rise in the number of casualties of explosive violence around the world. It took into account evidence provided by dozens of organisations across the humanitarian sphere, including EMERGENCY, as well as governmental departments and international agencies.

The report presented recommendations to the UK government on victim assistance in the aftermath of the devastating impact of explosive weapons and was received by the Prime Minister and her Cabinet, with copies placed in parliamentary libraries. It can be accessed here.

REVIVE Campaign

EMERGENCY is also a member of REVIVE, a coalition of charities organisations providing help and support to victims of explosive violence and the private sector, created to support the APPG’s on Explosive’s Threats inquiry as an awareness and media campaign.

REVIVE, which stands for ‘Reduce Explosive Violence, Increase Victim Empowerment’, targets media and parliamentarians to deliver raised awareness of the impact of being caught up in an explosive incident and the aftermath.

“We have operated in conflict zones since 1994 and remain extremely concerned by the threat posed by explosive weapons around the world. From the Battle of Mosul to the current wave of violence in Kabul, our hospitals have faced extraordinary challenges over the past 18 months as we endeavour to provide high-quality medical care for war victims. There are no more ‘safe areas’; places that should be respected and protected are now regular targets of violence. Guaranteeing the medical care that we provide has become increasingly difficult. The REVIVE campaign serves as an important opportunity to raise awareness of the urgent need to reduce explosive violence and increase victim empowerment and support. These principles are at the heart of EMERGENCY and our work.”

Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY, on the launch of the Revive Campaign