Pakistan: Launch of the DLP Forum marks 72 years of the Geneva Conventions and creates IHL discussion space

Marking the 72nd anniversary of the Geneva Conventions on 12 August, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Research Society of International Law (RSIL) jointly launched the Diplomacy, Law and Policy (DLP) Forum.

This is a first-of-its-kind online platform in Pakistan that aims to shape debate and dialogue on issues related to international humanitarian law (IHL), diplomacy and policy. The Forum, a podcast on the same subject, was also launched with the first episode serving as an introduction to the DLP Forum and the basics of IHL.

A meeting place to highlight best practice and create a contextualized understanding of international law, policy frameworks and issues in Pakistan and beyond, the DLP Forum will host a wide range of content, including articles, videos and podcasts that feature local voices.

The platform is purely academic in nature and will cover diverse topics such as IHL, means and methods of warfare, customary IHL and states' best practices, and subjects such as urbanization, climate and conflict, humanitarian diplomacy, and technology and warfare.

"The prospect of a webspace that houses pertinent debate on topical themes of international law and policy will ensure a spike in the learning trajectory in Pakistan. Local voices on international law and policy now have a space that is unequivocally theirs," said Durkhanay Ijaz, legal adviser at the ICRC.

Emphasizing that the DLP Forum invites contributions from students, academics, legal practitioners and anyone interested in contemporary issues around humanitarian law, RSIL executive director Jamal Aziz said the launch could not have come at a better time.

"The law and policy aspects related to IHL, especially in contemporary South Asia, need urgent attention. We hope that this forum will encourage indigenous scholarly engagement on the topic, highlight the unique challenges facing Pakistan and South Asia, and improve domestic and external policy responses on related issues," he said.

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