South Africa: experts gather to discuss displacement and cluster munitions
30-04-2010 News Release 10/71
Pretoria (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation will host the 10th annual regional seminar on international humanitarian law from 4 to 7 May in Pretoria.
Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim will officially open the seminar together with Catherine Gendre, head of the ICRC's regional delegation in Pretoria.
'' This year's seminar will provide an overview of the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, " said Christopher Black, ICRC regional legal adviser in Pretoria. He added that, as in previous years, the seminar will cover the latest developments in international humanitarian law and focus on the current state of its implementation in the region.'' We will also deal with topical issues such as international humanitarian law's applicability to private military and security companies, its incorporation into military training, and progress being made towards an arms trade treaty. "
The seminar will bring together 32 government representatives from 15 countries across Africa (Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). All participants will be specialists in international humanitarian law. They will discuss the provisions and implementation requirements of various treaties, and review progress made in ratifying and implementing them in their own countries.
For further information, please contact:Annick Bouvier, ICRC Pretoria, tel: +27 12 430 7335 or +27 82 822 87 63