Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law H E Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi (second right) and other officials at the event.
Amman: The National Committee for International Humanitarian Law of Qatar is participating in the joint workshop organized by the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on The Status of International Humanitarian Law in Contemporary Armed Conflicts, with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Qatari delegation to the workshop is headed by H E Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law.
During the opening of the workshop, the Chairman of National Committee for International Humanitarian Law reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s continued leadership in humanitarian work and its support for international efforts to resolve conflicts through dialogue and negotiations, in line with its belief in dialogue as an effective means to resolve crises and achieve stability.
He stressed the importance of this workshop organized by Jordan’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law as part of the cooperation framed by the memorandum of understanding signed between Qatar and Jordan in Doha in April 2016.
As a result of this cooperation, such seminars and workshops have been held annually between Doha and Amman, targeting stakeholders concerned with international humanitarian law in both countries.
This reflects the strong cooperation between the two committees and contributes to raising awareness of International Humanitarian Law.
He also noted that since the 12th meeting of Arab Committees for International Humanitarian Law held in Doha in October 2023, Qatar’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law has been working, under the mandate granted by the Arab International Humanitarian Law Committees, to coordinate with other Arab committees in preparing a draft proposal to establish an Arab Committee for International Humanitarian Law under the framework of the League of Arab States.
He said that Qatar’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law has been diligently working since then to overcome all challenges to establish this Arab Committee for International Humanitarian Law, which he described as a dream and aspiration long held by predecessors in this field.
He pointed out that the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs at the League of Arab States is preparing to convene a meeting dedicated to discussing the establishment of the Arab Committee for International Humanitarian Law, with this item being the sole topic on the agenda.
He emphasized the importance of the participation of all Arab committees in this key meeting to draft the proposal for the Arab Committee, with a view to submitting it to the Arab Ministerial Council for approval and adoption.
The workshop will continue over three days, during which the State of Qatar will present its experience in implementing International Humanitarian Law at the national level and the role of its National Committee for IHL.
The workshop will also address papers on the origins of international humanitarian law, its foundations and principles, the categories of persons protected under IHL, and those granted special and specific protections under the law. Various legal and judicial papers will be discussed, including topics on international criminal justice, challenges facing IHL in light of recent developments and technological advancements, and the implications of cyberspace in contemporary armed conflicts.
