Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?
YesThe commitments are incorporated into:
Strategy
Operational plan
At the National level
Explanation:
The Bulgarian Red Cross has undertaken various actions that can be divided in the following categories:
– Collaboration and Initiatives devoted to IHL:
NS implemented joint initiatives with state institutions, universities, and corporate partners;
Signed agreement with the National Student Councils Representation for joint initiatives.
– Education and Training:
IHL club in one of the Bulgarian universities, and disseminating the model to other higher education institutions;
Training on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and universal human values;
Bulgarian Red Cross participation in scientific conferences and IHL training;
– Emblem Protection:
Reviewed NS emblem-related materials and documents, and other countries’ legislation;
Developing and implementing a social media campaign dedicated to the emblem;
Drafting a Handbook for conducting emblem campaigns for distribution to other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies;
Research on the Bulgarian legal framework and case law on emblem regulation, recommendations for amendments regarding emblem protection and proper usage;
Implementation of Emblem Report Procedure;
Designing a bilingual online IHL course with sections on emblem regulation and protection for beginners and advanced levels.
– Civil-Military Cooperation:
Meetings with representatives of the civil-military formations in country;
Participation in exercises and trainings;
Collaboration with Military Academy.
– Promotion of IHL:
Promotes IHL norms and the fundamental principles of the Red Cross;
Training and information campaigns for members of the armed forces, state institutions, NGOs, students, and academia.
– International Participation:
Preparation of university students for the All-European IHL and Refugee Law Moot Court Competition;
Active participation of the NS in the European Legal Support Group (ELSG);
Engagement in working meetings organized by the ICRC Regional delegation in Belgrade with IHL colleagues to exchange best practices and present activities.
– Legislative and Consultative Activities:
Involvement in processes to improve humanitarian legal provisions and their implementation mechanisms;
Cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to disseminate IHL norms and participate in international meetings and seminars.
Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?
YesPartner with:
National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society in your country
Government and/or public authorities
ICRC/IFRC
Academia
Examples of cooperation:
The Bulgarian Red Cross in various events including lectures, webinars, meetings, etc. with the presented partners, as also illustrated in the section above.
Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?
YesWith challenges on:
Human resources
Details about challenges:
Turnover of staff. It is difficult to find domestic experts particularly specialized in the field of IHL.
Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?
YesType of Impact:
Cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened
Details about the impact:
The cooperation between the Bulgarian Red Cross and the public authorities have been strengthened in that more events and coordination meetings were organized.
Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?
YesDescription of the impact:
The main impact is related to the broadening of the knowledge of citizens, students and other experts in the field of IHL, while strengthening the role of IHL in society and raising awareness.