Nigeria: ICRC addresses West African regional parliament

" The parliament has a close relationship with the legislatures of ECOWAS member States, which play a vital role in ratifying instruments of international humanitarian law and in overseeing the executive's action in applying those laws, " said Jacques Villettaz, head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria, who will brief members of the regional parliament on the ICRC's activities and its relationship with similar bodies around the world.

Parliamentarians from the standing committees on political affairs, peace and security, human rights and child protection, legal and judicial affairs, health and social services, and gender, employment, labour and social welfare will attend the briefing session. They are drawn from the following ECOWAS countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

In Nigeria, the ICRC cooperates closely with the Nigerian Red Cross Society and supports its efforts to prepare to meet and take action to respond to the needs of victims of internal violence. In addition, the ICRC works closely with the ECOWAS Commission and government authorities to support and promote the ratification of treaties of international humanitarian law and the incorporation of their provisions into national legislation.