“A victory at all costs is not truly a victory, as it leaves societies in ruins and sows the seeds for future conflict,” said Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the ICRC. “When parties to conflict treat the enemy humanely, spare towns and cities, and provide humanitarian aid, they also create a basis for reconciliation. By preserving humanity in war, we can also preserve pathways back to peace.”
The event featured opening remarks from President Spoljaric and a panel discussion with Ambassador Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the United Nations in Geneva; Itonde Kakoma, President and CEO of Interpeace; Frederik Teufel, African Development Bank; and Yasmin Praz, Director of Operations at the ICRC.
The discussion is part of a global initiative launched in September 2024 by Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, and the ICRC to galvanise political support for IHL. The initiative is a platform for all states to take part in reversing the alarming disregard for the rules of war in contemporary armed conflicts.
The connection between IHL and peace is one of seven workstreams that ICRC legal experts will explore together with states over the next two years to find practical recommendations to improve respect for the rules of war. Other topics include prevention of violations; national IHL committees; protection of civilian infrastructure; special protection of hospitals and health care facilities; information and communications technologies in armed conflict; and naval warfare.
More information about the global initiative for IHL can be found here.
For more information, please contact:
Shuangfeng Zhang: Tel +86 10 85328507, email szhang@icrc.org
Najum Ul Saqib Iqbal: Tel +86 131 20363813, email nulsaqibiqbal@icrc.org
Fatima Sator, ICRC Geneva: Tel +41798484908, email fsator@icrc.org
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
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