This week, MAG joined discussions at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, highlighting the role of humanitarian action and development in building lasting security. We shared insights into how mine action and conflict prevention are not just life-saving interventions, but investments in resilience, recovery, and stability worldwide.
At a joint event with The HALO Trust and Labour Foreign Policy Group, Tackling Global Conflict: What Will It Take?, speakers including Baroness Chapman, Minister for International Development, and Lord Jack McConnell, explored the UK’s responsibilities in addressing global conflict.
Baroness Chapman emphasised that this work is fundamentally about people and communities. She highlighted ongoing crises in Sudan, Gaza, Myanmar, and Colombia, underlining the UK’s role in defending multilateralism, upholding international law, and championing the rights of women and girls. Clearing landmines, she stressed, not only saves lives but reconnects communities and builds skills that endure long after demining projects conclude. Continued UK funding, she said, is essential to maintain this impact.
MAG CEO Darren Cormack highlighted the moral imperative behind mine action: “We are in a race to find landmines before children do – and that’s a race we never truly win.” He pointed to a recently cleared school in Syria, where students can now return to class in safety, as a powerful example of how demining restores security, opportunity, and stability. Darren also stressed the UK’s strategic interest in maintaining global leadership in international humanitarian law and conflict prevention, noting the security dividends that flow from effective mine action.
Elsewhere at the conference, MAG also joined the Coalition for Global Prosperity on a panel titled Defence Beyond the Military: How Development Builds Lasting Security. The speakers – including Alex Ballinger MP, Laura Kyrke-Smith MP, Calvin Bailey MP, and MAG’s Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships Jo Dresner – explored the interconnected nature of defence, diplomacy, and development in achieving sustainable peace. They emphasised that military action alone cannot deliver lasting stability, and Jo reflected on the Labour Government’s legacy in upholding international norms, including commitments to the Cluster Munitions Convention and the Mine Ban Treaty.
The discussion drew on lessons from Ukraine, Gaza, and Africa, highlighting the impact of aid cuts on the UK’s ability to deliver global influence and the strategic value of investing in conflict prevention. Panellists agreed that aligning development and defence efforts strengthens communities, reduces future conflict, and reinforces the UK’s position as a global leader in humanitarian action.
MAG’s participation at the conference underscored that no country can be stable if its people live in fear. By clearing mines, supporting survivors, and rebuilding communities, MAG enables societies to recover and thrive after conflict. These efforts not only save lives but contribute to broader UK strategic interests, from conflict prevention to international leadership.
With crises spanning Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond, MAG’s work demonstrates that the UK’s commitment to humanitarian action and development is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity. At this year’s Labour Party Conference, MAG contributed to the wider conversation on how coordinated, compassionate action can help communities rebuild their lives and livelihoods, and live free from fear.
All photos by Danny Fitzpatrick
