Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 1: Bringing IHL home: A road map for better national implementation of international humanitarian law (33IC/19/R1) – German Red Cross

Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?

The commitments are incorporated into:
Strategy
Policy
Operational plan

At the International, Regional, National, Local level

Explanation:

The resolution “Bringing IHL home: A road map for better national implementation of international humanitarian law” underlines the importance of national measures to implement IHL and invites states parties to the Geneva Conventions, with the support of their respective National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to discuss and report on steps taken and future steps required to implement IHL in their respective legal systems (OP 2). A report on the implementation of IHL in the Federal Republic of Germany, its format was developed by the German Committee on International Humanitarian Law in the 1990s and published in the form of a questionnaire in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, was converted into a reporting system. It was updated and adopted by the German Committee in September 2020. The publication (print and online) took place in October 2020.

The resolution and its implementation are the subject of continuous exchange at the meetings of the German Committee on International Humanitarian Law. To strengthen the role of National IHL Committees in the implementation, development and dissemination of IHL (OP 5), the German Committee has held meetings, discussing the resolution’s implementation, in 2020, 2021, twice in 2022, twice in 2023 and so far once in 2024. The Committee has taken the resolution as an opportunity to reflect on its own working methods. The results of this process were recorded in an “experience report” as well as in a document on the Committee’s self-conception / mission statement adopted during a 2020 Committee meeting.

In line with the provisions of the resolution to strengthen cooperation between National Committees on the international, regional and cross-regional level (OP 6), the German Committee is in close contact with other National IHL Committees and set up a working group to intensify cooperation with other National IHL Committees in 2022. In May 2021 a meeting with the Slovenian National Committee was held, exploring opportunities to also meet within a larger group of National Committees. A similar meeting was held with the Georgian Committee (Interagency Commission on International Humanitarian Law) in December 2023 where possibilities of cooperation were exchanged and discussed. The German Committee also actively participated in the European Conference of National Committees on IHL, organized by the Austrian Federal Government, the Austrian Red Cross and the ICRC in March 2023. As suggested in the resolution (OP6), the German Committee became a member of the new “digital community” for National IHL Committees in March 2020.

The recommendation, addressed to both states parties to the Geneva Conventions and the components of the Movement, to continue to effectively disseminate IHL was implemented by the German Red Cross (GCR) between 2020 and 2024, including by initiating and supporting virtual dissemination activities (OP 10). These included online lectures and seminars for relevant target groups, such as students as well as GRC employees and volunteers. In 2022, GRC dissemination publications were updated, digitalized and made accessible to the general public. A dissemination newsletter informs interested parties about developments, events and publications in IHL twice a year. As part of a GCR IHL public awareness campaign in May 2023 as well as in May 2024, key messages on IHL were disseminated via digital screens and clips at over 240 train stations across Germany. At the same time, various social media and news websites were used for a digital campaign on IHL (OP 10).

Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?

Partner with:
Government and/or public authorities
ICRC/IFRC
Other National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies
Academia

Examples of cooperation:

Regarding dissemination with partners, at their annual “Conference on International Humanitarian Law” German RC dissemination officers and members of the German Armed Forces discussed the protection of the environment in armed conflict and other pressing issues in 2022 (also in line with OP 7). The conference in 2023 dealt with the topic of “Warfare in the digital age”, whereas the conference in 2024 was held under the theme “75 years Geneva Conventions: current and future challenges”. The GRC held a two-day multiplier meeting in 2023 to train and connect the volunteer GRC dissemination officers and is in preparation for another such meeting in October 2024. In line with the resolution (OP8) stressing partnerships of National Societies with academics and practitioners to disseminate IHL effectively, the GRC in 2022, 2023 and 2024 closely cooperated with the International Humanitarian Law Clinic at Justus-Liebig University Giessen. The cooperation provided further updates for the ICRC study on customary IHL, consolidates participants’ knowledge of IHL and facilitates access to German implementation practice in IHL internationally. Furthermore, the GRC cooperated as well with the International Humanitarian Law Clinic at the IFHV-Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum developing new materials to disseminate IHL to new, previously hard-to-reach target groups.

Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?

With challenges on:
Competing priorities
Lack of capacity and/or support (technical, financial, or other)

Details about challenges:

The resolution recommends a broad scope of activities whose implementation will necessarily vary based on existing capacities and priorities.

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?

Type of Impact:
Cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened
Innovative tools/methodologies have been developed and are utilized
Training and capacity of staff and volunteers has increased (for National Societies)

Details about the impact:

Examples for strengthened cooperation between authorities and the National Society include the annual “Conference on International Humanitarian Law” as well as GRC and armed forces’ cooperation in hosting an IHL summer school. Innovative tools for dissemination, such as spreading key messages on IHL via digital screens and clips at train stations across Germany as well as the support for developing the interactive movie “If War Comes To You”, have also been employed. Regarding training and capacity building, a two-day multiplier meeting on IHL in 2023 to train and connect the GRC dissemination officers can be mentioned, which will be repeated on a yearly basis.

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?

Description of the impact:

GRC dissemination officers are based at local, regional and national level – their work in disseminating IHL and the Movement’s Fundamental Principles has a particular impact at community level.