Mesures prises:
Switzerland has incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into an operational plan, at the international and national level.
The preparation of a voluntary report was included in the annual plan of action of the Swiss Interdepartmental Committee for IHL in 2020. The promotion and the update of the voluntary report appear in subsequent annual action plans.
The Swiss Government adopted the first voluntary report on the domestic implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) by Switzerland on 12 August 2020. The Swiss Red Cross contributed to the preparation of the report. A plan of action accompanies it and foresees that the organisation of events to disseminate the voluntary report.
Efforts to disseminate and promote voluntary reports include the following:
- The President of Switzerland mentioned the Swiss voluntary report in his speech at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 in New York.
- Switzerland presented and promoted the voluntary report to members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of the Parliament on 5 October 2020.
- Switzerland and the ICRC organized two online events on voluntary reports at the technical level, in June 2021, and for the legal advisers to the Ministries of foreign affairs in the margin of the International Law Week, in October 2021, in New York. Representatives of more than 100 states participated to these events.
- Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross Co-organization of a round table “International Humanitarian Law: What does Switzerland do?” on 18 November 2020 (cf. press release). It gathered representatives from the Ministry of foreign affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Swiss Red Cross and the Swiss parliament. It allowed the promotion of the voluntary report and a broader discussion on contemporary questions on domestic implementation of IHL with the citizens. The event was live streamed to allow broader participation despite the sanitary situation.
- Switzerland promotes voluntary reporting at the bilateral level.
To implement the commitments contained in the pledge, Switzerland has been working with partners such as the Swiss Red Cross, the Government and/or public authorities, the ICRC/IFRC. For example, dissemination and promotion at the domestic level were made jointly with the Swiss Red Cross. Promotion at the international level was primarily led together with the ICRC (for exempla via the organization of two events promoting voluntary reporting in 2021). It built on the dense network of Permanent Missions based in the International Geneva.
Regarding the challenges encountered, the preparation of a voluntary report required a certain amount of resources (human, financial, in time, etc.). Experts working on voluntary reporting have to do so while dealing with parallel challenging tasks.
The commitments in the pledge have had an impact on the work and direction of our State: the cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened; the programming and operations have become more effective and efficient; the dialogue with other Governments or National Societies was strengthened.
In particular, the preparation of the voluntary report enhanced dialogue among the members of the Interdepartmental Committee for IHL, as well as with the Swiss Red Cross. The Committee now possesses a well-developed and shared understanding of good practices and of the main implementation-related challenges that Switzerland faces. On that basis, it has created an action plan setting out specific measures that will strengthen Switzerland’s efforts in relation to IHL.
The organisation of two events promoting voluntary reporting in 2021 has made it possible to create, respectively strengthen, dialogue with the ICRC and several other States interested in the issue of voluntary reporting. The promotion of voluntary reporting at bilateral level has done so too.
Regarding the impact of the commitments contained in the pledge on the communities that our State serves, the meetings in 2021 provided an opportunity for States to exchange views on the implementation of IHL, based on voluntary reports. The meetings contributed to a dynamic in favor of the drafting of voluntary reports. We are convinced of the impact of voluntary reporting on communities. It can be measured in the medium term. We are of the opinion that for the moment, it is too soon to do so.