South Africa: The 23rd Southern Africa and Indian Ocean States Regional IHL Seminar
From 10 – 13 September 2024, the ICRC Pretoria Regional Delegation, in collaboration with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the South African government, co-hosted the 23rd Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Island States Regional Seminar on the implementation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
This Seminar brought together legal advisors and senior government officials from 11 countries to discuss and address current and emerging issues related to IHL. Additionally, the ICRC Pretoria Regional Delegation and government officials used the occasion to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.
The Seminar was chaired by the government of Malawi and included representatives from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles. The seminar focused on the implementation of IHL and the promotion of humanitarian values, coinciding with the global celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Seminar, the Head of the ICRC Southern Africa, Jules Amoti, spoke about the need to continue to uphold the principles of the law of armed of conflict.
In his keynote address delivered during the opening ceremony, Acting Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Relations of the government of South Africa, Mr. Luvuyo Ndimeni, stated
Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malawi, Ms. Mary Kachale, spoke about the need for all states to uphold the Geneva Conventions.
Since 2001, the ICRC Pretoria Regional Office and the government of South Africa have together been organizing an annual Regional Seminar with Southern African states. This event has become a key opportunity for the ICRC and regional governments to review the implementation of international law and address contemporary issues arising in various countries.
The four-day Seminar included panel discussions with senior government officials, including members of the armed forces, representatives of the African Union, Southern Africa Development Community, and the ICRC Legal Advisors, as well as breakaway sessions that focused on topical IHL issues. A brief snapshot of some of the outcomes follows below.
Key outcomes of the IHL Regional Seminar
Seminar. For the 23rd Regional Seminar, the government of Malawi served as Chair. Malawi contributed speakers for both the opening and closing sessions and led several plenary discussions. As a result of their committed and effective leadership, the ICRC Pretoria and the government of Malawi have agreed to form a strategic partnership aimed at improving IHL compliance in the region and beyond. This marks the first time that a government in the role of Chair has resulted in such a tangible outcome.
Additionally, the regional Seminar drafted a voluntary joint pledge aimed at enhancing compliance with IHL by States in the region. This pledge, reaffirming participants' commitment to IHL principles, has been deposited at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent by the Government of Malawi (serving as Chair). Future Seminars will play a role in assessing implementation of the pledge by States in the region.
