DOHA: The three-day Mena (the Middle East and North Africa) Red Cross and Red Crescent Consultative Meeting hosted by Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) at Crowne Plaza Doha has ended with several recommendations.
The concluding day discussed arrangements and recommendations for the World Humanitarian Summit to be convened by the United Nations in Istanbul, Turkey, next year and how to engage Mena national societies in preparing for it and contributing to its success.
Capacity-building for national societies, particularly those facing challenges and funding to strengthen their capability and their role in community service, were among the recommendations. Another recommendation was that the fundamental principles of humanitarian action must be respected, humanitarian action must not be politicised, and the internationally unaddressed humanitarian crises must take priority, as is the case with Libya.
The International Humanitarian Law must be respected in armed conflicts, and relief and medical workers protected, the meeting recommended.
It said national societies must be seen as auxiliaries to their states as they can reach out to disaster-stricken areas.
The meeting called on governments to enact legislation as a legal framework to protect the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems and enforce their respect among belligerents. A focal point will be appointed by each participating national society to follow up on implementation of the recommendations until the Turkey meeting.
The Peninsula
