Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the fourth round of states' consultations under the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva.
Qatar was represented by Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Mansouri, who chaired the session on Workstream Three: "International Humanitarian Law and Peace."
Al Mansouri said armed conflicts leave deep and long-lasting impacts on societies, and that violations of international humanitarian law exacerbate grievances, undermine trust, and hinder prospects for sustainable peace.
He stressed that the core message of the third Workstream is that every war should be conducted with a clear vision for a return to peace, with all actions during conflict directed toward enabling parties to live together peacefully in the post-conflict phase.
He added that the final document of the Workstream aims to translate states' practices and proposals into practical future recommendations structured across the conflict cycle: before, during, and after hostilities.
He noted that the first part focuses on strengthening preventive systems in peacetime, including measures to protect specific groups such as the missing, detainees, and the dead, and sustaining disarmament efforts to ensure respect for international humanitarian law during conflict and lay foundations for long-term recovery and peace.
He added that the second part focuses on integrating international humanitarian law into mediation and ceasefires during armed conflicts, while the third part addresses the post-conflict phase, providing a model checklist of measures to ensure continued respect for international humanitarian law.
Qatar's participation comes in its capacity as a co-chair of the third Workstream of the initiative on international humanitarian law and peace, alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of Colombia, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
