Recent activities relating to national implementation of international humanitarian lawin the countries of Central and South-East Europe, Annual report 1999
16-03-2000
Bulgaria
1. Mission to Sofia to initiate contacts with interlocutors in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior and Defense and introduce the national implementation file (26-29 January, 1999).
2. Invitation of a representative of the international law department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part as an observer in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (19-20 April, 1999)
3. Follow-up mission to Sofia to finalize discussions for the preparation of a national study of compatibility of the Bulgarian legislation and practice with respect to humanitarian law, by a group of experts headed by the Head of the Public nternational Law Chair at the Law Faculty of the University of Sofia (26 May-1 June, 1999).
4. Invitation of the Head of the International Law Department of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of a representative of the Ministry of Defense to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November, 1999).
5. Completion and translation into English of the National Study of Compatibility. Examination of the study initiated (December 1999).
6. Pledge presented by the Bulgarian Government to the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to
undertake specific measures aimed at ensuring the wide dissemination of humanitarian law documents by way of translating and publishing all international law instruments;
undertake all necessary steps, in accordance with the national legislation, for preparing the ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Croatia
1. Invitation of a representative of the Human Rights'department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Executive President of the Croatian Red Cross to take part as observers and experts in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (19-20 April, 1999).
2. Invitation of a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November, 1999).
3. Pledge presented by the Croatian Government to the 27th Internatio nal Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to set up a permanent national structure - the National Committee on the Promotion of the Implementation of IHL to ensure the implementation of humanitarian law. The Committee whose primary responsibility is the supervision, implementation, development and dissemination of IHL, shall in the course of its work be entrusted with forging close co-operation and dialogue with all relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies. [...]
Czech Republic
1. Mission to Prague to meet with representatives of the Department of International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Department of Humanitarian Law of the Ministry of Defense (14-16 April, 1999).
2. Invitation of a representative of the Ministry of Defense to take part as an observer and expert in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (19-20 April, 1999).
3. Invitation of a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Ministry of Defense to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November 1999).
4. Participation of the regional legal adviser in a four-day Conference of the CIS NGO Working Group on Refugee Legislation and Protection, organized in Prague (1-3 December, 1999).
5. Mission to Brno to meet with representatives of the Legal Department of the Military University for Ground Forces in Viskov, to discuss their availability to prepare the National Study of Compatibility of the Czech legislation with respect to international humanitarian law (January 27-28, 2000).
6. Pledge presented by the Czech Government to the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to:
consider the reservation of the Czech Republic to the 1949 Geneva Conventions in order to withdraw them;
intensify and deepen its co-operation with the Czech Red Cross [...] in promoting the principles of International Humanitarian Law.
Estonia
1. Participation by an Estonian representative in the European meeting of commissions and other national bodies for the implementation of international humanitarian law, Brussels, 19 and 20 April 1999 ( see BELARUS, above ).
2. Publication on the National Society’s Website of th e translation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, September 1999.
3. Examination by the Ministry of Justice of the draft penal code, September 1999.
4. Forwarding to Parliament of the bill on the protection of the emblem, September 1999.
5. Participation by two representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Social Affairs in the regional workshop, Vilnius, Lithuania, 9 to 11 November 1999.
Hungary
1. Regular discussions held with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the national implementation file.
2. Invitation of a representative of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part in the International Meeting of Experts on International Customary Humanitarian Law, organized by the ICRC in Geneva (January 1999).
3. Agreement for the realization of a national study of compatibility of the national legislation and practice in respect to humanitarian law under the auspices of the Department of International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (July 1999).
4. Organisation in association with the Hungarian Red Cross of an international symposium on Humanitarian Law and its implementation dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The event was opened by two Secretaries of Stat e from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense (Budapest, September 26-27, 1999).
5. Invitation of the Deputy Head of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part as an observer and expert in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (19-20 April, 1999).
6. Participation in a regional Conference devoted to the perspectives of accession by the Central and Eastern European countries to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Budapest, 1-2 October)
7. Invitation of three representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Justice to take part in the first Central European Workshop on international humanitarian law and its implementation held in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November).
8. National study of compatibility completed (January 2000).
Latvia
1. Mission to monitor and foster progress in reforming criminal legislation and adopting legislation to protect the emblem, Riga, 27 to 30 April 1999.
2. The Statute of the International Criminal Court was signed on 22 April 1999.
3. The criminal code entered into force on 1 April 1999.
4. Participation by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the regional workshop, Vilnius, Lithuania, 9 to 11 November 1999.
5. Delivery by the authorities of the special section of the criminal code, September 1999.
6. Comments on the criminal code currently in force, December 1999.
Lithuania
1. Mission regarding the study on progress in implementing IHL in Lithuania, Vilnius, 17 to 20 February 1999.
2. Comments on and proposed amendments to various national rules relating to protection of the emblem, March 1999.
3. Steps taken with a view to ratification of the Additional Protocols, May 1999.
4. Follow-up mission to Vilnius, 7 to 9 June 1999.
5. Launching of research on progress in implementing IHL, July 1999.
6. Follow-up mission to Vilnius to organize the workshop scheduled for November 1999, 20 and 21 July 1999.
7. Comments on and proposed amendments to the criminal code, July 1999.
8. Follow-up mission to Vilnius, 7 to 10 September 1999.
9. Comments on the bill on the use and protection of the emblem, September 1999.
10. Regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its implementation at the national level, Vilnius, 9 to 11 November 1999 .
Poland
1. Invitation of a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Polish me mber of the International Fact-Finding Commission to take part as observers and experts in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels between (April 19-20).
2. Mission to Warsaw to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (July 14-15, 1999).
3. Invitation of a representative of the Ministry of Justice and the Chairwoman of the National Commission on the Dissemination of International Humanitarian Law of the Polish Red Cross to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organised in Vilnius, Lithuania (November 9-11, 1999).
4. Pledge presented by the Polish Government to the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to
undertake the necessary measures to complete as soon as possible the already initiated legal proceedings aimed at the withdrawal of its reservations made with regard to the Geneva Conventions; [...]
to undertake in the near future, necessary measures to establish a Governmental Committee on implementation of International Humanitarian Law.
Romania
1. Mission to Bucharest to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and academic circles (January 19-20, 1999).
2. Follow-up mission to Bucharest. Meetings held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Defense. Meeting with the Minister of Education (March 23-25, 1999).
3. Recommendation issued by the Romanian Minister of Education for the teaching of humanitarian law in secondary and higher education in Romania (April 21, 1999).
4. Invitation of a representative of the Department of Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part as an observer and expert in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (April 19-20, 1999).
5. Organisation of a national Symposium on humanitarian law dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions was organized in association with the Romanian Association of Humanitarian Law in Bucharest in September. The event associated some 120 participants, including representatives of the Romanian authorities as the highest level. (September 17-19, 1999)
6. Invitation of representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice, and of the Commander of the Romanian National College of Defense in Bucharest to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November 1999).
Slovakia
1. Invitation of a representative Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part as an observer and expert in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (April 19-20).
2. Adoption by the Slovak National Council (Parliament) of a Declaration in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and recalling its obligations and support for the process of implementation of humanitarian law in the domestic legislation and practice (dated October 1, 1999).
3. Invitation of a representative of the Department of international law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9-11 November, 1999).
4. Mission to Bratislava to discuss the national implementation file with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Human Rights'and Criminal Law Departments at the Ministry of Justice (25-27 January 2000).
5. Pledge presented by the Slovak Government to the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to withdraw by the end of the year 2000 all reservations of the Slovak Republic to the 1949 Geneva Conventions .
Slovenia
1. Mission to Ljubljana to meet with representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture. Discussions in relation to the establishment of a Slovenian national commission on humanitarian law and to the realization of a national study of compatibility (17-19 February, 1999).
2. Follow-up mission to Ljubljana pursuant to the formal establishment of the Slovenian National Inter-Ministerial Commission on Humanitarian Law (2 April, 1999).
3. Invitation of the Chairman of the Slovenian National Commission on Humanitarian Law to take part as an observer and expert in the first Regional European Meeting of National Commissions on humanitarian law held in Brussels (19-20 April 1999).
4. Follow-up mission to Ljubljana to participate in the second meeting of the Slovenian National Inter-Ministerial Commission on Humanitarian Law (12-14 May, 1999).
5. Participation in the opening Ceremony of the ICRC exhibition on the Ottawa Treaty, organized in Ljubljana under the auspices of the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (14 May, 1999).
6. Invitation of the Deputy Head of the International Law Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part in a 3-day regional workshop on international humanitarian law and its national implementation organized in Vilnius, Lithuania (9 -11 November, 1999).
7. Pledge presented by the Slovenian Government to the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to
[adopt] the regulations on the use and protection of the Red Cross emblem and the early implementation of these provisions [...];
support the dissemination of the Geneva Conventions with their Additional Protocols and other instruments of international humanitarian law within armed and security forces, educational, health and other institutions.