Seven decades of protection: the Geneva Conventions through the test of time – Expert discussion

Adopted in 1949, a mere four years after the tremendous suffering of the Second World War, and at the beginning of the Cold War, the Geneva Conventions deepened the body of treaty law protecting victims of armed conflict. As the worlds marks their 70th anniversary, it is essential to reflect collectively on the achievements of the Conventions, on the challenges that lie ahead, and on ways to continue translating these fundamental laws into genuine protection.

This event will complement the panel hosted at the Humanitarium on 18 September: Voices from the Field.  

On 12 September 2019, the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations and Other International Organizations, Geneva, and the ICRC, hosted an expert discussion on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), reflecting on their historical origins and the ways they are implemented in armed conflicts today. At this event different topics were addressed, including the context of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the innovations they introduced, and the contemporary and future challenges to and solutions for their implementation.

Introducing the event were Dr Helen Durham, Director of International Law and Policy, ICRC, and Ambassador Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg, Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN and Other International Organizations, Geneva.

In an interview-style format moderated by Helen Durham, distinguished IHL scholars discussed how the Geneva Conventions have contributed to protect humanity in war for 70 years and why those texts, and IHL generally, are as much commitments for the future than outcomes from the past.

Keynote Speakers

HE Ambassador Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg, Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN and Other International Organizations, Geneva
Dr Helen Durham, Director of International Law and Policy, ICRC

Speakers

Dr Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Adviser and Head of the Legal Division, ICRC
François Bugnion, Independent consultant in international humanitarian law and humanitarian action, former member of the ICRC Assembly
Hasini Rathnamalala, Senior Lecturer in Law in the Faculty of Law, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka