Report on pledge – Strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) through its promotion, dissemination and implementation

Actions taken:

The set-out action plan in the pledge are in general: 

“The EU, and its Member States and the EU National Red Cross Societies pledge to, according to their respective mandates, and in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions: 

• adopt the necessary legislative, administrative and practical measures to ensure and further strengthen domestic implementation of IHL; 
• strengthen their efforts to promote and disseminate IHL inside and outside the EU,  in particular to the armed forces, as well as armed non-state actors, humanitarian and medical personnel, including local humanitarian actors and other groups or individuals who may encounter the application of IHL in their work; 
• promote and strengthen the role and work of National IHL Committees and cooperation amongst themselves.” 

Actions taken: 

The Swedish Red Cross’s core mission is to spread knowledge about IHL, which has been done: 

1. Continuously through lectures by our legal advisers as well as voluntary international law informants,  
2. Initiated a project to increase the number of voluntary international law informants 
3. That we provide information about IHL via our website 
4. Our online courses, one new and the other one now translated to English.
   1. https://www.rodakorset.se/krigets-lagar/webbkurs-i-krigets-lagar-och-folkratt/ 
5. Participate in the Swedish Defence Council’s International Law Council 
6.  Every year we compile Swedish practice linked to IHL and share with the ICRC customary law project
7. Responding to referrals, in the years since the last conference we have provided comments on the importance of IHL in legislative work through the following opinions: 
   1. The Swedish Red Cross’s opinion on the report Total Defence Analysis – an independent authority for follow-up and evaluation (SOU 2021:103) 
   2. The Swedish Red Cross’s opinion on the memorandum Punishment for participation in a terrorist organization (Ds 2022:6), 
   3. The Swedish Red Cross’s opinion on the sub-report Freedom of Association and terrorist organizations (SOU 2021:15), with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross,  
   4. The Swedish Red Cross’s opinion on the report A ban on racist organizations (SOU 2021:27) 
   5. The Swedish Red Cross opinion on the report A strengthened protection for the civilian population at heightened preparedness (SOU 2022:57) 
8. Participation in debate articles, seminars and panel debates to spread knowledge about IHL and the Red Cross’ mandate and mission and point out the importance of increased knowledge.   
9. Launching publications:
   1. Publish a Yearbook on IHL every year: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 s00n to be published.
   2. In January 2024 the Swedish Red Cross launched a publication with a humanitarian perspective on the Total defence system in Sweden, with a parallel objective to spread knowledge about IHL.
   3. In March 2024 the Swedish red Cross jointly with ICRC and NCGM launched a publication on Gender and IHL: Practical Implications for Military Operations. 
10. In February 2024 the Swedish Red Cross Communications unit had a two-week project to spread information about IHL in all our Communications channels at the same time, including social media, a new webpage, e-mails, etc.  
11. Responding to questions, and shearing information on IHL, with state investigations.  

Interaction with others: 

• Our legal adviser (Angelica W) is a part of an ELSG reference group that primarily focuses on this pledge. She has consequently worked in the reference group to produce an interactive film for the dissemination of knowledge about IHL. The Swedish red Cross has contributed with financial support to the implementation of this project.  
• The Yearbook involves collaboration the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and authorities and universities that contribute with texts. 
• The project to increase the number of voluntary international law informants is partly financed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and we also cooperate in the development of teaching materials for different categories under the total defence system.  

• The IHL and Gender conference that we arranged in October 2022, at the following report launched in March 2024, was a joint arrangement with the ICRC and the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations. 
• Arranging a joint Nordic legal advisers meeting in Stockholm in January 2024, to share knowledge and experiences in disseminating IHL. 
• Collaborations with the Swedish Defence College regarding seminars, and debate articles.  
• Collaboration with the police, prosecutors regarding online course on war crimes.  
• Collaboration within the framework of the Swedish Defence Council (TFR). 

Implementation completion: