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ADDRESSING CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW



Michael Meyer
Head of International Law
British Red Cross
mmeyer@redcross.org.uk


Yes

  • The British Red Cross provided technical assistance to UK Government officials in relation to the IHL issues addressed at the World Humanitarian Summit.
  • The British Red Cross has provided on-going support to the UK Government in relation to the continuing efforts to strengthen respect for IHL (the inter-governmental process). This has included sharing of information and providing advice and input, as requested, on technical aspects of the UK’s contribution to the inter-governmental consultation.
  • The British Red Cross is also a part of the recently established National Societies/Movement Open-Ended Working Group (OERG), created to support the ICRC in taking forward the discussions on strengthening respect for IHL with States.
  • The British Red Cross continues to work actively with the UK Government and the Commonwealth Secretariat in promoting IHL issues. For example, in early June 2016 the British Red Cross and Commonwealth Secretariat jointly hosted a seminar on contemporary IHL issues (including the Arms Trade Treaty, the protection of cultural property and addressing sexual and gender-based violence), aimed at officials of Commonwealth High Commissions in London. It is planned to hold similar events on an annual basis.
  • The British Red Cross provided funding for and helped organise the Fourth Meeting of Commonwealth National IHL Committees, held recently in Namibia (June 2017).
  • The British Red Cross, together with the ICRC, co-authored a paper covering a range of IHL issues for the Meeting of Senior Officials of Commonwealth Law Ministries and the Meeting of Law Ministers and Attorneys-General of Small Commonwealth Jurisdictions, both held in October 2016. The paper addressed matters including the role of National IHL Committees, the prevention and repression of war crimes, the Arms Trade Treaty and the protection of cultural property. The paper has bee up-dated for presentation at the Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in October 2017.
  • In addition, funding has been agreed with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to support the development of a Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook on IHL, in 2017 and 2018.
  • Matters including strengthening compliance with IHL, and conducting of weapons reviews (as envisaged under Article 36 of Additional Protocol I), are routinely discussed at meetings of the UK’s Inter-Departmental Committee on International Humanitarian Law, of which the British Red Cross is a permanent member.

There have also been challenges in implementing part of the joint pledge.  Specifically, the British Red Cross is aware that the initiative to strengthen IHL protecting persons deprived of their liberty is undergoing significant challenges. We continue to support the UK, as and when requested, in seeking ways to take forward this process.