Commonwealth MPs Discussed Issues of International Humanitarian Law

A joint meeting of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights and the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Political Issues and International Cooperation was held on 18 April 2024 at the Tavricheskiy Palace.

Welcoming the participants of the meeting, Secretary General of the Council Dmitriy Kobitskiy noted that issues of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) have become an integral part of the activities of the Assembly's Permanent Commissions in the implementation of the mechanism for the protection of citizens' rights in the CIS countries.

Dmitriy Kobitskiy said that the Assembly had adopted a serious set of normative acts and thanked the representatives of international organizations participating in the meeting for the initiative to inform the parliamentary corps about their activities.

Head of the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus Boris Michel, spoke about the 75^th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and the work of the ICRC. Over the past 75 years, the Geneva Conventions have played an important role in protecting people affected by armed conflict, so IHL remains relevant to all modern armed conflicts. States should ensure that IHL continues to evolve, as it protects victims of armed conflict regardless of which side they are on. Boris Michel also noted that the ICRC's goal is to help people affected by armed conflicts and other violent situations.

“The principles laid down in the Geneva Convention became norms of international humanitarian law, compliance with which is mandatory without any contractual obligations,” Chair of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights, member of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic for Law Policy and State-Building, member of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic on Defense, Security and Counter-Corruption Nizami Safarov believes that the principles laid down in the Geneva Convention became norms of international humanitarian law, compliance with which is mandatory without any contractual obligations

Head of UNHCR Office in Russia Atassi Karim, spoke about the work of the representative office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Russia. The aim of the Office is to support the Russian Government in establishing a fair and effective asylum system in accordance with international rules. In addition, UNHCR and the IPA CIS provide expert assistance to each other in the development of normative legal acts aimed at protecting refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons.

Head of the UNOCT Programme Office in Doha David Alamos spoke about the interaction between the Assembly and the UNOCT within the framework of the coordination mechanism of the parliamentary assemblies. The IPA CIS is a member of the Coordination Mechanism of Parliamentary Assemblies on Combating Terrorism. It examines regional trends and measures to combat terrorism and prevent extremism, as well as priorities and geography of joint initiatives in these areas.