The Permanent Mission of Italy, together with the Italian Red Cross and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, organized the panel discussion “Voluntary reports on the national implementation of international humanitarian law: towards a universal culture of compliance”.
The President of the Italian Red Cross, Mr. Rosario Valastro, renowned professors and international lead experts on international humanitarian law (IHL) including Prof. Marco Sassòli, Prof. Gloria Gaggioli and Prof. Giulio Bartolini, representatives of the Red Cross as well as Ambassadors Jürg Lauber and Sandra Lendenmann of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs attended the event.
The panel focused on IHL implementation, specifically in relation to the consolidating good practice of national voluntary reports on IHL, drawing from the experience of the Italian report published in November 2023. The report came as a result of the recommendations grounded in Resolution 1 of the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and was drafted also looking at the upcoming 34th International Conference which will take place in Geneva next October.
In the opening speech, the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi thanked the Italian Red Cross for the continuous excellent collaboration and to the Geneva Academy for kindly hosting the event in the “Cassese room”, dedicated to one of the most prominent international lawyers of the 20th century. Ambassador Grassi then stressed the strong commitment of Italy to the promotion and implementation of IHL both at national level and in multilateral fora, highlighting that “75 years ago, States adopted the Geneva Conventions and this anniversary reminds us once again of the world’s agreement that wars must have limits, and that, regardless of the circumstances, respect for human dignity and human life must always guide our actions”. He also reminded the audience of the important role of the Italian Commission for the Study and Development of IHL, established in 2021, with the goal to build a global culture of respect for IHL, contribute to its study and promote initiatives aimed at its wider dissemination and application.
The event brought together representatives from State parties to the Geneva Conventions as well as members of both the civil society and the international community in Geneva, to stimulate a broader discussion on the translation of IHL obligations at the national level, good practices and challenges of reporting on national compliance with IHL and exchange on practical measures that can enhance national IHL implementation.
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Read the first “Voluntary report on the implementation of international humanitarian law in Italy” by the Commission for the study and development of international humanitarian law
