The purpose of the Bill is to: fulfil the commitment to provide protection for the new humanitarian symbol (a red crystal) and to extend the legislative protection afforded to United Nations and Associated Personnel.

The main elements of the Bill are:

• Amendment of the definition of "UN worker" in the United Nations Personnel Act 1997 to cover the additional categories of operations provided for in the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of UN Personnel.

• Provision of the same protection under the criminal law for the new humanitarian symbol adopted at a Diplomatic Conference of States in December 2005 as is currently applicable to the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

The main benefits of the Bill are:

• Enabling UK accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of UN Personnel, so extending the protection afforded to UN operations under the Convention to apply additionally to those delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance in peace building operations, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance.

• Fulfilling the United Kingdom's commitment for the adoption of a new humanitarian emblem and the commitment to ratify the enabling Third Protocol to the Geneva Conventions signed by the UK on 8 January 2006.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is consulting the British Red Cross.

The adoption of the two Protocols covered by the Bill was the culmination of negotiating efforts over a number of years. The UK continues to be engaged in humanitarian work more broadly throughout the world. The Prime Minister’s Initiative on International Reform includes the building of international civilian capacity for early recovery.  The extension of protection to apply to those delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance in peace building would support this initiative.