One year on from Australia's leadership on aid worker protection, World Vision says the world must keep its promise
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Key Facts:World Vision spokespeople available for interview, including on
- One year since Australia’s push to protect aid workers – Minister Anne Aly announced the finalised wording of the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel on World Humanitarian Day last year, now signed by more than 100 nations.
- Why aid worker safety is community safety – 98 per cent of World Vision’s staff worldwide are locally engaged, meaning attacks on aid workers strike at the children and families who depend on them
- Australia’s global leadership on humanitarian protection, and the task of turning the world’s promise into practice
- How Australian generosity supports local doctors, nurses, teachers and drivers delivering aid that lasts to their communities
For queries and media requests, please contact:
Domi Gonzales at [email protected] or 0413 788 380.
Claire McIlroy at [email protected] or 0422 925 100.
This World Humanitarian Day (Wednesday 19 August), World Vision is marking one year since Australia announced the finalised Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel: a global promise, now signed by more than 100 nations, to protect the aid workers who serve children and families in the world’s toughest places.
It was on World Humanitarian Day last year that Minister for International Development Dr Anne Aly announced the Declaration’s text had been finalised, before Australia led its signing at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.
The Declaration commits signatories to upholding international humanitarian law, protecting humanitarian workers, and ensuring life-saving assistance reaches children and families in conflict zones. It came after the deadliest years on record for humanitarian workers, with the overwhelming majority of those killed being local staff serving their own communities.
World Vision Australia CEO Grant Bayldon said the Declaration was a moment when Australia showed the world what principled leadership looks like: “Aid workers exist for one reason – to reach children and families with food, medicine and hope when crisis strikes. When an aid worker is killed, a community loses the person who feeds its children and treats its sick," Mr Bayldon said.
“Australia can be proud of the leadership it has shown. One year ago today, on World Humanitarian Day, Australia put a finalised Declaration before the world. Today, 122 nations have made a promise to protect the people who protect others. The task now is to turn that promise into practice – so that every aid worker who sets out to help and make a difference to the lives of others comes home safely.”
“We are grateful to the Australian Government for championing this cause on the world stage, and to the Australians whose generosity stands behind humanitarian workers every day.”
Around 98 per cent of World Vision’s staff worldwide are locally engaged – parents, carers and neighbours serving their own communities. When humanitarian workers are protected, it is these communities, and the children within them, who are protected.
World Humanitarian Day marks the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 humanitarian workers.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel was launched at the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September 2025. It was developed by a Ministerial Group comprising Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, following extensive consultation with humanitarian organisations operating in conflict zones.
- At the launch, Australia committed $15 million in practical measures to support aid workers to deliver assistance.
- According to the Aid Worker Security Database, 2024 and 2025 were the deadliest years on record for humanitarian workers. The overwhelming majority of those killed were national staff, serving their own communities.
- World Vision Australia supports the work of World Vision offices around the world. Around 98 per cent of World Vision's staff globally are engaged in their own countries.
About us:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision and their partners are working in communities to improve families’ economic prospects, strengthen violence prevention and child protection services, and improve education systems. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Contact details:
Domi Gonzales | [email protected] | 0413 788 380.
Claire McIlroy | [email protected] | 0422 925 100.