Working together to improve compliance with International Humanitarian Law

The dire consequences of armed conflicts show that compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by all parties is of paramount importance, as the lack of respect for IHL is often the principal cause of suffering for civilian populations. Respect for IHL:

• Is key from a humanitarian perspective, as it reduces loss of life and suffering, preserving human dignity;
• Is critical from a development perspective as it can help minimize damage to vital infrastructure systems and the disruption of essential services;
• Can impact positively on inter-community dialogue and reconciliation, thus reducing tensions that may fuel further conflicts and helping make peace possible.

The AU and the EU have been engaging collaboratively on IHL in the framework of the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding on Peace, Security and Governance. The ICRC is also engaging with both the AU and the EU on IHL, including in the context of IHL training provided by the EU CSDP missions and supporting the AU to establish an IHL compliance framework for peace support operations.

This side-event co-organized by the EU, AU, and the ICRC, is an opportunity to highlight challenges related to compliance with IHL, to take stock of efforts deployed by the EU, the AU and the ICRC, share good practices, and identify potential future collaborative approaches to foster increased respect for IHL.

The side-event will be a 1h30 panel discussion introduced by a national African actor working on IHL, with interventions by the AU, EU and the ICRC and followed by a plenary session in which EU and AU member state representatives will take the floor."