Commissions & Spotlight Sessions
Commission I: Building a Global Culture of Respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
Commission I aims to mobilize States, working with their National Red Cross or Red Crescent
Society (National Society), to redouble their efforts to implement IHL obligations in good faith. The opening plenary of the commission will focus on prevention work and set the stage for thematic discussions that will take place in the spotlight sessions. With its prevention focus, the commission underpins the IHL resolution being tabled at the conference. Then, for four key topics in contemporary armed conflicts, each spotlight session aims to raise awareness, provide space for discussion and debate, and encourage members of the conference to adopt pledges to encourage concrete and meaningful action to improve respect for IHL.
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War in cities: Responding to civilian harm
Date: Tuesday 29 October
Time: 11.30-13.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Description
Armed conflicts are increasingly fought in urban areas, with complex and devastating effects on the civilian population. The humanitarian impacts of urban warfare are direct and indirect, immediate and long-term, visible and invisible. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement and other humanitarian organizations continue to reinforce their capacity to prevent and respond to the consequences of war in cities, but the scale and complexity of humanitarian needs extend beyond the technical, practical and financial capacities that can be mustered by a collective humanitarian response. Protecting civilians caught in urban combat starts with good faith compliance with IHL and a change in the way belligerents plan and conduct hostilities in populated areas. This session will focus on the humanitarian consequences of urban warfare, the Movement’s response to them, the challenges faced and States’ efforts to reduce and respond to civilian harm.
Format
In this session, Movement representatives (including National Societies operating in contexts affected by war in cities) and representatives from States and regional organizations will engage in a lively discussion on these issues.
Speakers
– Dr Myo Nyunt, President, Myanmar Red Cross Society
– Aida Elsayed, Secretary General, Sudanese Red Crescent
– Dr Younis Al-Khatib, President, Palestine Red Crescent Society
– Gloria Lombo Kihinga, Secretary General, Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Anne Bergh, Secretary General, Norwegian Red Cross
– Lt Col Martijn Schippers, Netherlands
– Ambassador Eugenia María Gutiérrez Ruiz, Deputy Director for Foreign Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Costa Rica
– Representative of the African Union (tbc) -
Promoting disability-inclusive interpretations and implementation of IHL in complementarity with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Date: Tuesday 29 October
Time: 11.30-13.00
Venue: Room Geneva (CCV)
Description
Persons with disabilities face specific barriers and risks resulting from military operations in armed conflict. This spotlight session aims to build on previous efforts to raise awareness about these specific barriers and risks and to promote recommendations that came out of regional consultations bringing together persons with disabilities, their representative organizations and armed forces, co-organized in 2022 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, the International Disability Alliance, the Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre and the European Disability Forum. Conference participants should be encouraged to submit pledges with a view to promoting disability inclusion in the interpretation and implementation of IHL and in humanitarian action.
Format
The spotlight session will have a dynamic and interactive format. After a keynote address by the President of the International Disability Alliance, participants will work in three groups on practical scenarios examining 1) the accessibility of warnings, evacuation and shelter; 2) increased awareness of armed forces in the conduct of military operations; and 3) the accessibility of humanitarian relief. In a final segment, participants will be able to announce their intentions in terms of making pledges on IHL and persons with disabilities.
Speakers
– Nawaf Kabbara, President, International Disability Alliance
– Veronica Ngum Ndi, Chief Executive Officer, Community Association for Vulnerable Persons
– Niklas Saxén, Senior Humanitarian Adviser, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland
– Dovilé Juodkaité, Board Member, European Disability Forum -
Protection of the natural environment in armed conflicts
Date: Tuesday 29 October
Time: 14.30-16.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Description
Societies affected by armed conflict are also coping with the global environmental and climate crisis, and armed conflicts are deepening the crisis by harming the environment further and reducing people’s resilience to growing climate risks. This session will highlight concrete measures that States, National Societies and parties to armed conflict can take to improve wartime environmental protection by ensuring better dissemination and implementation of the relevant rules of IHL.
States and National Societies are invited to share national law, policy and practice related to the protection of the environment in armed conflict during the session. Government representatives highlighted many relevant examples at the 2023 State Expert Meeting on IHL: Protecting the Natural Environment in Armed Conflicts. States and National Societies are encouraged to submit pledges, drawing on good practices such as these, to advance national IHL implementation with a view to strengthening the protection of the natural environment in war.
Format
In this session, opening presentations will detail the environmental impacts of war and examine the existing legal framework. A roundtable panel discussion will follow, during which States and National Societies will talk about measures they have put in place to advance national implementation of IHL rules protecting the environment. The floor will then be opened to the audience for statements from States, National Societies and Observers.
Speakers
– Marja Lehto, Ambassador (International Legal Affairs), Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland, Member of the UN International Law Commission from 2017 to 2022 and Special Rapporteur for the topic “Protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts”
– Wim Zwijnenburg, Project Leader, Humanitarian Disarmament, PAX
– Lourdes Castro García, Presidential Adviser for Human Rights and IHL, Presidential Office for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Colombia
– Gordon Muga, Senior Deputy Secretary, Disaster Risk Reduction Department, National Disaster Operations Centre, Ministry of Interior, Kenya
– Representative of the National IHL Committee, Kuwait (tbd)
– Solange Devenish, Legal Adviser, Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society -
Autonomous weapon systems
Date: Tuesday 29 October
Time: 14.30-16.00
Venue: Room Geneva (CCV)
Description
Addressing the humanitarian, legal and ethical risks posed by the unconstrained development and use of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) must be a priority on the global humanitarian agenda. The ICRC President and the UN Secretary-General have called on political leaders to urgently negotiate new international rules setting clear prohibitions and restrictions on AWS by 2026. This session will provide a unique forum for States and the Movement to exchange and share perspectives on this topic. The participants will explore the potential human cost, ethical concerns and challenges for compliance with IHL arising from the use of AWS in armed conflicts, hear updates from regional, international and other processes, including the CCW’s Group of Governmental Experts and the UN Secretary General’s report, and discuss the way forward towards the establishment of new legally binding rules.
Format
The session will begin with a video introduction, a technical briefing outlining the current state of AWS technology and an update on diplomatic processes. Following an interactive audience poll to gauge attitudes and concerns, a panel featuring States, National Societies, the ICRC and a technical expert will discuss the issues and challenges presented by AWS and review possible courses of action. The discussion will then be opened to questions and comments from the floor.
Speakers
– Gregor Schusterschitz, Chief Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria
– Tahir Andrabi, Director General, Arms Control & Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan
– Kate Devitt, Centre for Robotics, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
– Richard Lennane, Disarmament Adviser, ICRC
Commission II: Standing by our Fundamental Principles in responding to humanitarian needs and risks
The overall objective of Commission II is to reaffirm the continued value of the Fundamental
Principles and to deliberate on threats to humanitarian work carried out in accordance with these
principles. The Commission will also discuss the role of States in respecting and ensuring respect
for the Movement’s principled humanitarian action. Expected outcomes include:
- Refreshed commitment to the Fundamental Principles and reaffirmation of their continued
relevance in a changing world - Greater understanding among States of the threats to the Movement’s principled
humanitarian action and the very real consequences on the ground.
The Commission will also address humanitarian needs and action and consider current and emerging risks. It will explore them through the lens of principled action and the Fundamental Principles, discussing challenges and developing solutions.
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Respect for neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian action
Date: Wednesday 30 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room Geneva (CCV)
Speakers
Anne Berg, Secretary General, Norwegian Red Cross
Nordov Bolormaa, Secretary General, Mongolian Red Cross
Abdulkadir (Afi) Ibrahim Haji Abdi, Somali Red Crescent
Peter Kaiser, Deputy Secretary General, Austrian Red Cross
Ulrich Herzog, Austrian Ministry of Health, Head of Consumer policy and consumer health
Description
Across the world, we see increasing challenges to principled humanitarian action. These include political and societal polarization, the politicization of humanitarian assistance, and misinformation and disinformation, which threaten the safety of humanitarian workers and their access to the communities they serve. This spotlight session will bring the Movement and States together to explore operational examples of the current global challenges to principled humanitarian action and the real-life consequences for the Movement’s staff and volunteers. It will highlight why humanitarian action in accordance with the Fundamental Principles is important both for the Movement and for States.
Format
The session will start with sharing of experiences, challenges and solutions for principled humanitarian action and particularly with regard to the principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality and Independence. Examples from different contexts will be presented. The session will then have an interactive segment where a hypothetical scenario will be explored and discussed. In the final part, finding and learnings will be summarized.
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Working together to reduce the impacts of climate change on communities
Date: Wednesday 30 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG) -
Navigating pressing challenges in the context of migration: The importance of a principled humanitarian approach
Date: Wednesday 30 October
Time: 13.30-15.00
Venue: Room Geneva (CCV) -
Raising awareness about emerging challenges: Humanitarian protection risks in an increasingly digitalized world
Date: Wednesday 30 October
Time: 13.30-15.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Speakers:- Ms. Anne-Marie Buzatu, Executive Director, ICT4Peace
- Ms. Tonusree Basu, Director – Policy and International Programs, Access Now
- Dr. Ilia Siatitsa, Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer, Privacy International
- Ms. Jimena Sofía Viveros Alvarez, Head Legal Advisor and Chief of Staff of Justice Ortiz, at Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice, OECD AI Expert and member of the UNSG High-Level Advisory Body on AI
- Prof. Kristin Bergota Sandvik Research Professor in Humanitarian Studies at PRIO and law professor at UiO
Moderator: Dr.Mr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General of the Sri Lankan Red Cross
Description:
As the world is increasingly digitalized, new humanitarian protection risks arise, or existing ones change or present themselves in different ways. This session seeks to improve the understanding of the broad array of digitally derived protection risks in humanitarian contexts, including armed conflict and other situations of violence, natural disasters, migration and other humanitarian settings. It will explore how digital technology can exacerbate the existing vulnerabilities of affected people and lead to humanitarian consequences. The session will also unpack the potential role of the Movement in mitigating these risks as part of its broader protection mandateand explore some of the following key ideas. A wide array of distinct digitally derived risks will be addressed, such as harmful information, risks from artificial intelligence systems and tools, disruptions to digital infrastructure, services and data and the involvement of civilians in armed conflict through digital means.
Format:
During the moderated session different external experts will present their observations and challenges of these distinct digitally derived risks and possible mitigations. This is followed by an engagement with representatives from the Movement and the States with an opportunity for the experts to respond.
Commission III: Enabling sustainable, locally-led action
Commission III will bring together the components of the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement (Movement) and States to enhance locally led action and local leadership in
humanitarian action and development, with a view to meeting the needs of communities in areas
such as disaster, conflict, climate change adaptation, health and well-being. It will examine ways
to strengthen and increase investment in the capacities and sustainability of local actors, including
but not limited to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (National Societies), and
highlight the impact of their work at the community level. It will explore different aspects of locally
led action – auxiliary role of National Societies, role of volunteers, diversity of local actors,
partnerships, financing, risk sharing and coordination.The Commission will explore ways in which States and other international actors can invest in
local and national capacities and reinforce the auxiliary role of their respective National Societies
in the humanitarian field in a complementary manner. It will identify the remaining key barriers to
enabling sustainable locally led action and propose solutions and actions for the future.-
Commission III – Opening plenary
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Keynote speaker
Maciej Popowski, Director General, European Commission
Speakers
Dyanne Marenco Gonzalez, President, Costa Rican Red Cross
Yves Ouoba, SPONG (Burkina Faso)
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The vital role of volunteers and community-based actors in social safety nets for community resilience
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room E-F (CICG)
Co-moderators:
Professor Matt Baillie Smith, Northumbria University
Louisa Seferis, Consultant on social protection and cash assistance
Panellists- Anare Lweeniqila, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
- Anselme Katiyunguruza, Secretary General, Burundi Red Cross
- Wendy Walker, Director, Human and social Development Sector Office, Asian Development Bank
- Meghan Balley, Head of Social Protection and Health, The Climate Centre
- Carols Sanvee, Secretary General, YMCA
- Sakun Kumar Joshi, Deputy Director, Governance Secretariat, Nepal Red Cross Society
- Ange Mulanga, Youth volunteer, Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The World Bank and others define “social safety net programmes” as “non-contributory transfers in cash or in-kind and are usually targeted at the poor and vulnerable”.[1] These programmes, also known as social assistance or social welfare, include but are not limited to cash transfers (and near-cash benefits, such as fee waivers and food vouchers), in-kind transfers, school feeding and targeted food assistance, outreach to marginalized groups and assistance to the elderly.
In addition to formal social protection systems, many communities rely on the volunteer-based, community-led, social safety net-style initiatives that exist in most countries and that address wider situations of vulnerability. Many National Societies have services that contribute to or strengthen informal social safety nets, encompassing a broad spectrum of initiatives aimed at fostering community resilience and well-being, engaging a diverse range of local actors and drawing on the role of local volunteers in community engagement and support. Additionally, National Societies, in their role as auxiliaries to their government, are well placed to identify opportunities to leverage formal social protection systems.
Across this range of informal and formal social safety nets, it can be seen that they are most effective when they are rooted in people-centric systems, with volunteers often playing an essential role. By looking at the work of volunteers, both National Society and other community-led volunteers, including the families of missing persons, the session will emphasize the significant role that community-based actors play in both informal and formal social safety nets in addressing locally the economic and social factors that are essential to driving the shift from vulnerability to resilience.
The specific objectives of the session are to:
Recognize the significant role that volunteers, including those from National Societies, play in both informal and formal social safety nets in addressing locally the economic and social factors that are essential to driving the shift from vulnerability to resilience
Encourage States, National Societies and other local actors to invest in and create a stronger enabling environment to ensure that volunteers are protected and that volunteer-based informal social safety nets can thrive as a complement to formal social safety nets and contribute to scaling up local, community-led responses in times of crisis
Encourage States to build strong, inclusive, shock-responsive social protection systems and to establish stronger links with National Societies and other local actors to enable local, community-led responses in times of crisis.
Key questions to be discussed- How can we better protect and empower volunteers to act and extend social safety nets at the community level?
- How can the lessons learned from volunteer-driven efforts inform policy and practice in the broader context of social safety nets?
- To what extent should government and formal institutions support and integrate informal volunteer-driven approaches into broader social protection systems?
- How can Movement components work with each other and with community-based networks in a complementary manner in contexts where formal social protection is weak or non-existent? What risks and opportunities does this present?
[1] https://www.worldbank.org/en/data/datatopics/aspire/indicator/social-assistanceWorking together with States and local authorities in managing and strengthening the auxiliary role across all levels
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room Geneva (CCV)
Objective
This session will convene States and the components of the Movement with the overarching aim of reflecting on the critical role of National Societies as local actors and auxiliaries to their public authorities in the humanitarian field and their power to convene other local actors for the delivery of humanitarian services in diverse contexts. The session will:
Explore the essence, key success factors and opportunities of such partnerships as well as the challenges of managing the auxiliary role in diverse areas, such as health care, essential services, disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation, and in diverse settings, such as urban areas and contexts marked by fragility, violence and conflict
Examine the value of complementarity between National Societies and local, national and international actors and ways to deliver tailored services, informed by contextual dynamics, operational realities and expertise and based on the needs of affected people, in a principled, effective and comprehensive manner
Identify solutions and additional support required from States and local authorities to facilitate and enhance the role of National Societies in support of their authorities
Identify lessons learned and best practices that can be shared thanks to their power to convene other local actors.
Key questions to be discussed
- How do National Societies achieve complementarity with local, national and international actors while upholding the Fundamental Principles in diverse contexts and supporting or partnering with the authorities as service providers to communities? How can the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) best support these partnerships?
- What are the main operational challenges in managing the partnership between National Societies and local public authorities in the humanitarian field in diverse contexts? What strategies have been most effective and what lessons can be drawn from these experiences?
- Drawing on comparative analysis of best practice, what are the key takeaways from these examples? How can States and the components of the Movement best work together?
Community health action and front-line preparedness: Learning from the past to shape the future
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Keynote speaker: Mr. Elhadj As Sy, Kofi Annan Foundation
Moderator: Mr. Itonde Kakoma, Interpeace
Speakers:- Dr. Nedret Emiroglu, WHO
- Dr Louise Ivers, The Harvard Global Health Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Ms Gunn Jorid Roset, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Objective
Over half of the world’s population cannot access the health services they need because they are either unavailable or unaffordable. Health workforce deficiencies, inadequate distribution and quality and performance challenges are some of the main obstacles to scaling up essential health-care activities. Lack of access to basic health care is a universal challenge. In conflicts and disasters, unmet health needs are compounded and exacerbated. Conflict, violence and disasters disrupt the health-care system when people need it the most. Sometimes, disruptions can be so severe that the entire system collapses, especially during armed conflict when it is targeted and/or overwhelmed.
This spotlight session will explore the critical and essential role of frontline workers in community health action and related preparedness activities and how States and the Movement can best support frontline workers across the preparedness, response and recovery continuum. Strong, integrated frontline preparedness for response is crucial and will continue to grow in importance as we face the global consequences of climate change, increased population movements, the continued impacts of COVID-19 and other global health threats. It is also crucial to invest in the protection and development of volunteers and community health workers, including maintaining a duty of care, creating a conducive environment and ensuring recognition for them at the local level.
The specific objectives of the session are to:- Explore the critical and essential role of frontline workers in health action and related preparedness activities and how States and the Movement can best support frontline workers across preparedness, response and recovery.
- Discuss ways to strengthen the preparedness of frontline workers as first responders and leaders in community health action and preparedness, prioritizing the safety, protection, health and well-being of these workers and the people they serve
- Explore challenges and opportunities for strengthening local capacities, partnerships and coordination and the role of local actors, National Societies, community health workers and other frontline workers.
Key questions to be discussed- How can we enhance the preparedness of local communities and frontline workers to effectively recognize and respond to health and multi-hazard threats in conflict and disaster settings?
- What concrete steps and investments are needed from the Movement, States and the international community to ensure that community health workers and other frontline workers are recognized, have their capacities strengthened and are integrated into community health systems, with a view to reducing gaps and ensuring equitable access to primary health-care services so that no one is left behind?
- How can health action be integrated with broader resilience-building measures, such as early warning systems for climate events, social inclusion and livelihood support, to strengthen community preparedness comprehensively?
- How can local actors (disaster risk management, health and others) join efforts to address increasing challenges and maintain capacities to respond to different health and multi-hazard scenarios?
- What practical insights and lessons can be drawn from the adaptive responses of National Societies during recent emergencies and how can these experiences inform future preparedness strategies?
Overcoming barriers on financing and risk sharing to foster locally-led action
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 10.30-12.00
Venue: Room 4 (CICG)
The Grand Bargain commitment to achieving an aggregate global target of 25% of humanitarian funding being delivered to local and national actors “as directly as possible” is proving challenging, especially in silent and chronic crises. Institutional barriers to reaching the target include the lack of consistent data, internal systems (particularly those of intermediaries) that are not set up to track or measure the required indicators and the lack of funds to cover overhead costs which limits the ability of local and national actors to maintain or strengthen their institutional capacity to operate effectively. These barriers often result in partners transferring risks or generating new ones for other actors down the delivery chain. Ultimately, this lack of risk sharing is manifested in continued gaps in funding support between international donors and local actors, such as National Societies.
The question of trust is at the root of financing and risk issues. Often, the lack of trust in local actors is driven by a perception of risk and the different risk appetites of donors and international organizations. This has prompted a search for a better balance of trust and controls in the way actors working in an assistance delivery chain manage their risks, which has recently been further unpacked in dialogue on risk sharing, for example, by the Risk Sharing Platform co-led by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ICRC and InterAction.
It is important to note that beyond increasing the volume of funding going to local and national actors, there are other important measures for supporting locally led action, such as providing quality funding to or partnering with local and national actors, that address barriers to financing and risk sharing for local actors.
The specific objective of this spotlight session is to increase knowledge on risk sharing and financing innovation to deliver locally led action that is more effective and relevant for people in need and to:
Explore equitable ways of sharing risks among partners in a humanitarian delivery chain that can be utilized to maximize the collective potential reach of partnering organizations and look at how this new approach can support localization objectives
Explore innovative funding mechanisms that predictably invest in the sustainability of local actors and enhance and contribute to scaling up locally led action
Identify the key barriers and enablers for risk sharing and financing for locally led action.
Key questions to be discussed- What motivations and opportunities for change are there and what capacities do States and international humanitarian and development organizations need to implement their financing and risk management approaches to support locally led action?
- How can the risk-sharing process contribute to the building of partnerships between and among States and international and local/national humanitarian and development organizations that deepen trust and ultimately benefit affected people?
- What lessons can be shared from past initiatives on innovative financing and risk sharing to overcome barriers to locally led action for more equitable ways to manage risks collaboratively in the delivery chain?
Commission III – Reconvening plenary
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 13:30 – 14:30
Venue: Room A-D (CICG)
Moderator: Juliet Parker, ALNAP
Speakers
- Nadine Saba, Executive Director, AKKAR Netwok for Development (Lebanon)
- Shannon Rogers, Director of the Office of Global Policy, Partnerships, Programs and Communications for the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), USAID
- Dominique Burgeon, Geneva Director, FAO
- Mary Namono Kibere ZBC, Rapporteur of the Executive Committee of the UNHCR 2023-2024; Uganda Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other International organizations in Geneva; First Secretary, MInistry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda