Pledge on IHL Compliance by 15th Regional Seminar on International Humanitarian Law, Pretoria, South Africa

We, Governments * (list below) who attended the Annual Regional Seminar on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) held in Pretoria, South Africa from 18 to 21 August 2015, are committed to the continued implementation, promotion and strengthening of compliance with IHL in the Southern Africa Region and including Indian Ocean Island States in the region, specifically through:

1. Contributing to thematic discussions at the Annual Regional IHL Seminar;

2. Reporting by Governments on the status of domestic implementation and promotion
of IHL at the Annual Regional IHL Seminar; and

3. Encouraging continued peer to peer engagement on IHL in the region.

Pretoria, South Africa

21 August 2015

* Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Action plan

In light of the foregoing, we hereby agree to:

1. Continue the co-hosting of the Annual Regional IHL Seminar by the ICRC and the
South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation in the period
2016 – 2019;
2. Present at the Annual Regional IHL Seminar country reports outlining progress and
challenges in the domestic implementation and promotion of IHL;
3. Co-host sub-regional peer-to-peer meetings on the implementation and promotion of
IHL, with the assistance of the ICRC and in partnership with the Regional Economic
Communities;
4. Support the establishment of new National Committees on IHL and improving the
functioning of existing Committees through peer to peer engagement in the region;
and;
5. Contribute to the continued consultations and outcomes relating to Resolution 1 of
the 31st International Conference on “Strengthening legal protection for victims
of armed conflict.”