A) Objectives of the pledge:
Austria strongly supports exchange, close cooperation and coordination among IHL stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels with a view to effectively disseminate and implement IHL.
For this purpose, Austria and the Austrian Red Cross pledge to organise, until the next RCRC Conference in 2028 and in close cooperation with the ICRC, one regional conference of the European National IHL Committees in Austria. The conference will build on the experience from previous European Regional Conferences of National IHL Committees, including the one hosted by Austria in Vienna on 13 and 14 March 2023. The conference will also encourage states and national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to establish National IHL Committees in states not yet disposing of such committees.
This pledge relates to the theme of Commission I at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (RCRC Conference) entitled “Building a Global Culture of Respect for International Humanitarian Law”. It also contributes to the implementation of the Resolution “Toward a universal culture of compliance with international humanitarian law”, in particular OP4 which “calls upon States to strengthen the role of their national committee”.
B) Action plan:
Austria and the Austrian Red Cross will organise, until the next RCRC Conference in 2028 and in close cooperation with the ICRC, one regional conference of the European National IHL Committees in Austria. Austria will invite European National IHL Committees as well as national authorities and representatives of national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies of European states not yet disposing of a National IHL Committee.
C) Indicators for measuring progress:
Progress will be measured by:
- Organisation of the conference;
- Number of participants in the conference;
- Publication of a summary report of the conference.
D) Resource implications:
Austria and the Austrian Red Cross will provide the conference venue and catering for the conference.