2 weeks Ago By Qatar Tribune
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The Gulf Seminar on the Role of National Committees for International Humanitarian Law commenced in Doha on Monday. Organised by the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (NCIHL), the event aims to promote respect for and the implementation of international humanitarian law, as well as to strengthen cooperation among national committees in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The seminar was attended by the Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, along with the heads and representatives of the national committees for international humanitarian law in the GCC countries.
Also present were Dr Omar Makki, Regional Legal Coordinator for the Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr Moaz Al Hadhli, Legal Advisor for the ICRC’s mission in Kuwait, as well as a number of invited guests and legal professionals from various government entities. In his opening remarks, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairperson of NCIHL Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi affirmed that the seminar aims to enhance respect for and enforce international humanitarian law in the participating countries. Al Suwaidi underlined that the humanitarian challenges facing the world today place increased responsibility on all parties to raise awareness of international humanitarian law, to deepen understanding of its noble principles, and to earnestly work towards aligning national legislation with international obligations.
This, he stressed, is essential to ensuring the protection of human life and dignity during armed conflicts and to strengthening the rule of law. He affirmed that the NCIHL strongly believes in collective action and effective coordination among Gulf committees as a fundamental pillar for enhancing the implementation mechanisms at the national level, sharing expertise and experiences, and unifying efforts in the areas of awareness, training, and capacity-building. These efforts, he noted, are essential to supporting the role of international humanitarian law in the Gulf region.
He asserted that NCIHL believes in collective work and effective coordination among the Gulf committees as a core pillar toward upgrading the implementation mechanisms at the national level, sharing expertise and experiences, in addition to unifying efforts in the areas of awareness, training, and rehabilitation in support of the role performed by international humanitarian law in the Gulf region. Participants reviewed the activities of the Gulf NCIHLs and commended the initiative of organising this seminar as a first-of-its-kind event in the Gulf region. They highly appreciated the State of Qatar’s leading role in promoting the authority of international humanitarian law.
Rapporteur of NCIHL in the State of Qatar, Khaled Mohammed Al Khamees Al Obaidli, presented a working paper outlining the idea behind establishing the NCIHL, alongside its salient initiatives, wit Dr Al Hadhli presenting a similar paper on the NCIHLs and ICRC in enforcing international humanitarian law. In addition, Dr Makki reviewed the contemporary challenges facing international humanitarian law, along with the appropriate remediation mechanisms to mitigate the humanitarian impact of wars and crises on innocent victims. Copy 22/04/2025 10.
