International Humanitarian Fact finding Commission, Mr. Vaios Koutroulis, Item:10,GD,52 Session HRC скачать в хорошем качестве

International Humanitarian Fact finding Commission, Mr. Vaios Koutroulis, Item:10,GD,52 Session HRC

Fact-finding is an essential part of promoting and protecting human rights. And as the practice of the Council amply demonstrates, such fact-finding takes place very often in the context of armed conflicts. Such situations require an expertise not only on human rights but also on international humanitarian law. International humanitarian law, the body of rules applicable in situations of armed conflict, is doubly complex. First, its complexity is internal: it is composed of many conventions and rules of customary law whose interaction is not always clear to those not possessing the necessary expertise. Second, its complexity is external: its interaction with other applicable rules of international law, especially human rights, is not always clearly or correctly understood. Several international jurisdictions, fact-finding bodies and experts have been struggling with this interaction for years. The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission offers the necessary expertise to address both these complexities. The Commission is established under Article 90 of the First Protocol Additional of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions. It is the agent of the universal treaty system of International Humanitarian Law. We are created by States - Parties to Protocol Additional I and our competence is based on States’ consent, expressed so far by 76 States. As an impartial, independent, non-political body composed of 15 experts with different backgrounds, including medical doctors, military officers, diplomats and lawyers, acting in their personal capacities, we are able to undertake inquiries regarding International humanitarian law violations. We are a permanent organ, predictable, ready to undertake a mission at a short notice. We would also like to remind to all States, even those that have not recognised the jurisdiction of the Commission or those that are not parties to the First Additional protocol, that they can use the Commission’s good offices and fact-finding services on an ad hoc basis. We continue living in the times of misinformation and fake news, when a professional, expert-based analysis of hostilities remains a crucial confidence building measure, helping to restore a spirit of trust and reconciliation. The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission provides an additional, complementary avenue available both to the Human Rights Council and to States towards the goal of providing technical assistance and capacity building in order to better protect victims of armed conflicts.