Kofi Ampeah Woode
Focusing on the application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Switzerland will convene a technical Conference of High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention (on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War) in March 2025, on the implementation of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
This was stated by the country’s Ambassador to Ghana – Her Excellency (HE) Simone Giger, at a symposium held to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Teshie, Accra, on Thursday 14 November 2024.
As the keynote speaker, Ambassador Giger said of the anniversary that it should be used as an opportunity to stimulate an out-of-the box discussion on the unprecedented challenges, and dilemmas faced by all parties bearing a responsibility to respect and ensure respect for the IHL.
Providing figures from the Stockholm International Peace Institute, which says conflict-related fatalities rose from 153’000 in 2022 to more than 170’000 in 2023, HE S Giger said the number of conflict-related fatalities globally has been on the rise.
In 2023, there were four conflicts categorized as major armed conflicts, involving 10,000 or more conflict-related fatalities per year, which were civil wars in Myanmar and Sudan, the Israel-Hamas War, and the Russia-Ukraine War.
The number of high-intensity armed conflicts, involving conflict-related fatalities, increased, from 17 in 2022 to 20 in 2023; with Sub-Saharan Africa remaining the region with the most armed conflicts, although many were low-intensity conflicts, involving fewer than 1000 conflict-related fatalities.
While conflict-related fatalities decreased in several countries experiencing high-intensity armed conflict – including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Sudan – they increased elsewhere, especially in Sudan (+537% compared with 2022) and Burkina Faso (+100 percent), but also in Somalia (+28%).
She added that her country’s Key Feature of humanitarian diplomacy is the Geneva Conventions, whose Additional Protocols are the cornerstone of IHL, which are international treaties that contain essential rules setting limits to war.
The IHL, Madam Giger said, protects people who are not taking part in hostilities, like civilians, medical personnel and members of humanitarian organizations, as well as those who are no longer taking part in the fighting, like the wounded, sick and prisoners of war.
She further said that violations of IHL are not signs of the futility or uselessness of these legal regimes, but that they reflect the actions of parties to conflicts who decide to trample on agreed rules, hence such acts must not go unpunished, as they contravene justice and jeopardize reconciliation in the aftermath of armed conflict.
The Commandant, KAIPTC – Major General (Maj Gen) Richard Addo Gyane, in his welcome address said, as an international peacekeeping training Centre, committed to championing the cause of peace, no matter the level of provocation, the KAIPTC cannot ignore the importance of commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.
He continued to say that due to the changing nature of conflicts globally, the Geneva Conventions are recognized as playing the important role of the human face for the protection of soldiers, women, children and vulnerable groups, in times of armed conflicts.
The Commandant asserted that the Geneva Conventions are enshrined fundamental principles which have promoted the protection of prisoners of war and civilians caught up in conflict, prevention of torture and maltreatment, respect for human dignity, as well as neutral humanitarian assistance.
In calling for adherence by all to the conventions, no matter what the situation, General Gyane said for KAIPTC’s part, the Centre shall continue to play its role in promoting regional and global peace and security through peacekeeping, bespoke capacity building, applied research to influence policy, train and educate peacekeepers to ensure compliance and respect for the IHL.
“We shall continue to inculcate in our students and participants the virtues of discipline and restraint in the face of the worst provocation, and the need to uphold the rules of engagement, even if they do not appear to be in our favor. This is one of the ways to behave responsibly in combat, or as part of the elements that have any part to play in conflict situations”, he affirmed.
The commemorations are themed: Challenges and Dilemmas in the implementation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL); and the objective of the KAIPTC event was to highlight the relevance of IHL, and how to improve upon its respect and enforcement.
The adoption of the Geneva conventions on August 12, 1949 codified an international legal standard to set limits to war and protect its victims. Universally ratified, together with their Additional Protocols, they establish minimum humanitarian standards to be respected in all armed conflicts.
The fundamental principles enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, such as distinction, proportionality, as well as the control of the means and methods of warfare during conflicts, have played significant roles in mitigating the impact of armed conflicts globally.
The subsequent adoption of the Additional Protocols in 1977 and 2005 to regulate international and non-international armed conflicts, and protect distinctive emblems have complemented the important role of the Conventions.
Issues relating to compliance, enforcement, interpretation, accountability, evolving warfare technologies, non-state actors and the blatant violations of the principles only show how relevant the Geneva Conventions still are after 75 years.
At a paneled discussion, the symposium discussed the successful application of the Conventions to protect the rights and dignity of individuals in conflict zones, the challenges in respecting and implementing IHL, and the relevance of the Geneva Conventions in the contemporary global context of:
1) Assessing how these treaties continue to serve as a cornerstone of international humanitarian law, and ongoing efforts to strengthen compliance and accountability; 2) Examining potential avenues for further enhancing the respect, effectiveness and impact of the Geneva Conventions in the years ahead;
3) Making recommendations for strengthening enforcement mechanisms, increasing awareness and adherence among state and non-state actors, and implementing the Conventions to address emerging challenges.
The symposium brought together government representatives, academics, diplomatic missions, representatives from United Nations agencies, humanitarian and human rights organizations, defence officials responsible for IHL, Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
