1. Constitutional structure and position of IHL in domestic law
Belgium is a federal parliamentary monarchy. According to Article 167 § 2 of the Constitution, the King concludes treaties. These treaties only have effect in municipal law after they have been approved by the Chambers (legislature). Both the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate are equally competent in respect of the law pertaining to consent to treaties (Art. 77 Const.). The Governments of the Communities and the Regions may conclude treaties in matters in which they are competent. These treaties have effect only after they have been approved by the Council of the relevant Community or Region.
Approved treaties automatically form part of municipal law, without further implementing measures, if this was the intent of the Contracting Parties.
Treaties have to be published in order to have effect in municipal law (Art. 8 Law of 31 May 1961). They have primacy over national legislation.
The 1949 Geneva Conventions were approved and published in French and Dutch by the Law of 3 September 1952 (Moniteur belge, 26 September 1952, pp. 6822-6953) and Additional Protocols I and II by the Law of 16 April 1986 (Moniteur belge, 7 and 22 November 1986, pp. 15196-15252 and pp. 15845-15846). Belgium accepted the competence of the International Fact-Finding Commission under Article 90 of Protocol I on 27 March 1987.
2. Implementing institution
The Interdepartmental Commission for Humanitarian Law was established by decision of the Council of Ministers on 20 February 1987. A royal decree of 6 December 2001 reorganized its functions and composition under the title Interministerial Committee on Humanitarian Law .
The Committee is a permanent advisory body whose mandate is to identify and examine the national measures required for the implementation of international humanitarian law rules at the national level, and to monitor and coordinate national measures of implementation. The Committee is also responsible for providing the government with studies, reports, advice and proposals related to the enforcement and further development of international humanitarian law.
The Committee's membership includes representatives from the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, National Defence, the Interior, Public Health and Development Cooperation. The Committee may appoint permanent experts in international humanitarian law, and representatives of the Governments of the Communities and Regions and of the Belgian Red Cross are also invited to participate in its work.
To mark the 10th anniversary of its founding, the Committee published a compilation of all measures of implementation of international humanitarian law, including measures already taken by Belgium and proposals for further action.
3. Legal advisers to the armed forces
Belgium has more than 200 general staff legal advisers to the armed forces. These are active officers who receive 3 weeks of IHL training. They are replaced annually. In the event of war, legally-qualified reserve officers, graduated in law and who have received 30 hours of instruction in IHL (case method) would also be placed at the disposal of the armed forces.
4. Bibliography
- A. ANDRIES, "The implementation of the Additional Protocol in Belgium", International Review of the Red Cross, No. 258, May-June 1987, pp. 272-276.
- A. ANDRIES, C. VAN DEN WIJNGAERT, E. DAVID and J. VERHAEGEN, "Commentaire de la loi du 16 juin 1993 relative à la répression des infractions graves au droit international humanitaire", Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, November 1994, pp. 1114-1184.
- N. COLETTE-BASECQZ, "La répression de l'omission en droit international pénal et en droit belge", Annales de droit de Louvain, 1995-1/2, pp. 19-52 (concerning Arts. 1 and 4 of the Law of 16 June 1993).
- N. COLETTE-BASECQZ, "Un instrument original de prévention et de répression des crimes de guerre: la loi belge du 16 juin 1993 relative à la répression des infractions graves au droit international humanitaire", Revue internationale de criminologie et de police technique, 1997-1, pp. 70-84.
- E. DAVID, "Les conséquences du Statut de la Cour pénale internationale pour la répression en droit belge", Actualité du droit international humanitaire, Les dossiers de la Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, No. 6, 2001, pp. 75-92.
- E. DAVID, "La loi belge sur les crimes de guerre", Revue belge de droit international, 1995-2, pp. 668-684.
- O. DUBOIS, "Le droit pénal des conflits armés et la théorie de la nécessité", Annales de droit de Louvain, 1995-1/2, pp. 94-112 (concerning Art. 5§1 of the Law of 16 June 1993).
- M. OFFERMANS, "The Belgian Interdepartmental Commission for Humanitarian Law", International Review of the Red Cross, No. 281, March-April 1991, pp. 154-166.
- L. REYDAMS, "De Belgische wet ter bestraffing van inbreuken op het internationaal humanitair recht: een papieren tijger?", Zoeklicht, January-February 1998, No. 20, pp. 4-9.
- M.-A. SWARTENBROEKX, "Observations concernant la décision de la Cour de cassation (2ème ch. F.) du 15 mai 1996, en cause de E. Nd., J. Ka. et A. Hi", Revue du droit des étrangers, 1996, No. 89, pp. 374-382.
- L. VAN BUNNEN, "La loi du 4 juillet 1956 relative à la protection des dénominations, signes et emblèmes de la Croix-Rouge", Revue de Droit intellectuel, 1956, No. 10/11, Bruxelles.
- D. VANDERMEERSCH, "Les poursuites et le jugement des infractions de droit humanitaire en droit belge", Actualité du droit international humanitaire, Les dossiers de la Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, No. 6, 2001, pp. 123-180.
- D. VANDERMEERSCH, "Les poursuites et le jugement des infractions de droit humanitaire en droit belge", in Actualité du droit international humanitaire, Les dossiers de la Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, No. 6, La charte, 2001, pp. 121-180.
- D. VANDERMEERSCH, "La loi du 22 mars 1996 relative à la reconnaissance du Tribunal international pour l'ex-Yougoslavie et du Tribunal international pour le Rwanda et à la coopération avec ces Tribunaux", Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, July-August 1996, pp. 855-888.
- A. WEYEMBERGH, "La notion de conflit armé, le droit international humanitaire et les forces armées des Nations Unies en Somalie (A propos de l'arrêt de la Cour militaire du 17 décembre 1997)", Revue de Droit pénal et de criminologie, February 1999, pp. 177-201.
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