The National President of the Italian Red Cross, Avv. Rosario Valastro, and prestigious international lecturers and experts in international humanitarian law (IHL), participated in Geneva in a round table discussion organised by the Permanent Representation of Italy together with the Italian Red Cross and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
In his opening speech, the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, stressed Italy's strong commitment to the promotion and implementation of IHL both at the national level and in multilateral fora.
Prominent participants at the event, on the theme "Voluntary Reports on the National Implementation of International Humanitarian Law: Towards a Universal Culture of Respect for Law", included Prof. Marco Sassòli, Prof. Gloria Gaggioli and Prof. Giulio Bartolini, as well as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Ambassadors Jürg Lauber and Sandra Lendenmann of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
At the centre of the debate - informs a note from the Representation - was the implementation of IHL, with particular reference to the consolidation of the good practices of national voluntary reports on IHL, based on the experience of the specific Italian report, published in November 2023. This report - underlines the communiqué - in fact originated from the recommendations contained in Resolution 1 of the 33rd International Conference of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and is part of the preparations for the 34th International Conference, scheduled to take place in Geneva next October.
Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi - who thanked the Italian Red Cross for its continuous and excellent cooperation, and the Geneva Academy for hosting the event in the 'Cassese Hall' dedicated to one of the most important international jurists of the 20th century - recalled that 75 years ago States adopted the Geneva Conventions: 'this anniversary helps us to remember that the international community agrees that wars must have limits and that, regardless of the circumstances, respect for human dignity and human life must always guide our actions'. He also noted the important role of the Italian Commission for the Study and Development of International Humanitarian Law, established in 2021 with the aim of fostering a global culture of respect for international humanitarian law, contributing to its study and promoting initiatives aimed at its wider dissemination and implementation.
The roundtable also provided an opportunity to bring together representatives of States Parties to the Geneva Conventions, members of civil society and the Geneva international community with the aim of stimulating a wide-ranging discussion on the declination of IHL obligations at the national level, good practices and the challenges of reporting on compliance with IHL at the national level, as well as the exchange of practical experiences that can contribute to improving the implementation of IHL at the national level.
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