The Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment on International Humanitarian Law is a collaborative effort, founded by Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Africa and the ICRC, and joined by 90 states worldwide. In a world where the challenges to humanitarian norms are increasingly complex and evolving, the Global IHL Initiative provides a timely platform for reaffirming a strong commitment to IHL and promoting concrete actions that uphold humanity in war.
From April to June 2025, the six founding states, the 27 co-chairs and the ICRC organized the first round of consultations on the seven workstreams. With around 130 states attending the discussions, this first round brought to light a wealth of good practices and concrete proposals to ensure better protection for all persons affected by wars. The progress report, drafted by the 27 co-chairs and the ICRC, captures these ideas and highlights elements that deserve further discussions among states.
The progress report will be launched in Geneva on 16 October 2025 from 15:00 to 17:30 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva during a public event co-hosted by Costa Rica, Slovenia, Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A high-level panel will open the discussion, highlighting the need to ensure genuine political commitment to respect for international humanitarian law. Following this, the co-chairs will present the progress achieved in their respective workstreams. Onsite participants will also be given the occasion to share additional perspectives and reactions from the floor, in a decontextualized and non-politicized manner.
Simultaneous interpretation in the 6 UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) will be provided onsite.
An immersive ICRC installation will be featured at the venue, showcasing a 360-degree film with Virtual Reality headsets to offer visitors a three-minute virtual experience. The digital environment takes participants into the realities of armed conflict, bringing to life the ICRC’s Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law through visual storytelling
Livestream: The event will also be broadcasted live on this Youtube Channel.
Listen in your preferred language: find the event on Listen Live and follow the meeting in any of the six official UN languages.
Note: The Tempus Room is located within the United Nations premises, next to the “Allée des Drapeaux”, right across Place des Nations. Registration through the INDICO platform is compulsory in order to obtain a temporary access badge. Please follow the instructions provided on the registration website.