Irish Red Cross Calls for International Humanitarian Law to be Strengthened

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 29, 2011 -- Today at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will introduce a resolution proposing to strengthen the legal protection of victims of armed conflict.

Irish Red Cross Secretary General, Donal Forde, and Colm Byrne Head of the society’s International Department are in attendance at the conference, which brings together representatives of 194 States party to the Geneva Conventions along with representatives of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – the world's largest humanitarian network.

Speaking from Geneva, Colm Byrne said "On the whole, international humanitarian law remains appropriate for regulating how parties to a conflict must behave, however, in consultations with States prior to this conference, weaknesses were identified in the legal framework that we want to address. In particular, there is a need to improve protection for detainees in non-international armed conflict and to strengthen international mechanisms to monitor whether the rules are respected or not."

The resolution would pave the way to find the most appropriate responses to these issues and encourage all members of the International Conference to participate in further consultations.

"While detailed rules on conditions of detention exist in international armed conflicts, this is not the case in non-international conflicts – those for example in which States fight against armed opposition groups," explained Byrne. "The ICRC needs to base its efforts to ensure more humane treatment for detainees not only on humanitarian concerns but also on clear legal standards."

As for better monitoring of compliance with international humanitarian law, options include strengthening existing mechanisms such as the International Fact-Finding Commission or creating new mechanisms.

"Unfortunately, international humanitarian law is violated all too often," said Mr Byrne. “An efficient monitoring mechanism could help prevent violations and lead to greater respect for the rules during a conflict. We hope that we can reach a consensus with all participants in the conference on these matters."

The Irish Red Cross works in Ireland and overseas providing humanitarian assistance in disaster and conflict situations and has a part mandate to promote awareness and understanding of International Humanitarian Law.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is made up of the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and 187 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The International Conference, its highest deliberative body, meets every four years.

geneva conventions     icrc     ifrc     ihl     international humanitarian law     irish red cross     redcross.ie