On 5 June, the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union co-hosted an event at the Residence Palace in Brussels to mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, together with the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the EU, NATO and the Kingdom of Belgium, and the Belgian Red Cross.
A panel of experts from the field and academia addressed key issues concerning the renewed relevance of international humanitarian law in contemporary armed conflicts.
Adopted in 1949 in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols contain the essential rules of international humanitarian law or ‘the laws of war’. The prohibition of torture and rape, the obligation to provide medical care, to treat prisoners humanely and the dead with dignity, and to inform families of the fate of their loved ones: these are all fundamental rules designed to preserve humanity and human dignity in armed conflicts.
International humanitarian law remains as relevant and indispensable as ever. Its rules remain simple, practical and adapted to the main developments in warfare. We urgently need political will to ensure the Geneva Conventions are enforced in full, and to better guarantee they are respected and implemented.
Respect for international humanitarian law helps to promote a return to lasting peace. It can only be a long-term commitment that begins in peacetime. As the International Court of Justice recently emphasised, all states have an obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, whether or not they are parties to an armed conflict.
This is why the aim of the European Union and its member states must remain to create and maintain a culture of respect for international humanitarian law. This involves disseminating the rules to all those directly involved, and effectively combating dehumanisation, the first step towards barbarity.
David Jordens, Spokesperson – porte-parole – woordvoerder
TEL: +32 478 92 09 37
EMAIL: mediaEU2024BE@diplobel.fed.be
Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Rue des Petits Carmes / Karmelietenstraat 15
Brussels 1000 – Belgium
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