Resolution 7 : Strengthening the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement response to growing humanitarian needs | Power of humanity: Red Cross Red Crescent

State

Name, position and email of the focal person

Name: Ms. Ana Pereira
Function: Legal counsellor at the Department of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal
Email: ana.costapereira@mne.pt

1. Has your government engaged with the National Society on the implementation of “Principles and Rules for Red Cross and Red Crescent Humanitarian Assistance”?
Yes

Please describe the activities undertaken :

The partnership between the Government and the Portuguese Red Cross is a well-established one and covers several intervention areas (medical emergency, disaster response, health service, and rescue and recovery services).
Regarding the promotion and dissemination of International Humanitarian Law, the Government and the Portuguese Red Cross have an ongoing relationship of successful cooperation (e.g. training of the Armed Forces on International Humanitarian Law by the Portuguese Red Cross). According to the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols, the Portuguese Red Cross cooperates with the military health services on the protection of wounded or sick combatants, castaways, prisoners of war, civilians who are victims of international and non-international conflicts and other exceptional situations.
Portugal and the Portuguese Red Cross National Society have established a permanent consultation mechanism that has met to review matters such as the follow-up of the resolutions and pledges of the 31st and 32nd International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the promotion and dissemination of International Humanitarian Law.
Humanitarian assistance was one of the main subjects of a public conference jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Red Cross: the conference “Humanitarian Assistance and the Protection of Civilians in Situations of Armed Conflict– Current challenges”, held on 7 April 2017. Two of the speakers and authors of the “Oxford Guidance on the Law Relating to Humanitarian Relief Operations in Situations of Armed Conflict”, Professor Dapo Akande and Ms. Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, presented that document.
Portugal and the National Society have also made a joint pledge concerning the integrity of the distinctive emblems and have work in progress to implement it.
Portugal is currently working, in coordination with the Portuguese Red Cross and following the International Committee’s guiding principles, to establish a national committee on International Humanitarian Law before the end of 2017.

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