Actions taken:
Switzerland provides the Secretariat of the IHFFC. This entails day-to-day administrative support for the Commission, the management of its budgetary and financial processes, the organization of the Annual Meeting in Geneva as well as support to its members during missions abroad.
In November 2021, Switzerland convened the election of the members of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC). Link: https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-85986.html. The next election is scheduled for 2026.
As a High Contracting Party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocol Additional I, Switzerland regularly raises awareness of the IHFFC in multilateral fora, encourages States to recognize its competence and resort to the Commission, and supports meaningful references to the Commission in resolutions, for instance in the 6th Committee of the UN General Assembly. In bilateral contacts with relevant States, Switzerland advocates for the recognition of the competence of the Commission and encourages the use of the IHFFC’s good offices in restoring respect for IHL. The recognition of the competence of the IHFFC can be made by depositing a simple declaration (available on the website www.ihffc.org) with the Depositary.
In November 2022, Switzerland organized a retreat of the 15 members of the IHFFC to reflect on how it could better facilitate, particularly through its good offices, contribute to the restoration of an attitude of respect for IHL.
Switzerland has worked with Governement and/or public authorities and the ICRC/IFRC to implement the commitments contained in the pledge (organization of meeting of States to raise awareness on the IHFFC, notably in Geneva during the Annual Meeting of the IHFFC; a Group of Friends has been established a few years ago to support the IHFFC; common efforts with partners such as the ICRC).
The main challenge to promote the recognition and the work of the IHFFC is its lack of institutional anchor. It depends entirely on the willingness of States to cooperate with it. 76 States have recognized its competence. Not every State is familiar with the recognition system (additional support for ratification of the API). Confusion between the role of the IHFFC and the role of international criminal tribunals and other accountability mechanisms.