The Government of the Islamic Republic Iran and the ICRC Delegation in Tehran jointly hosted an event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The event was organised on 16 December 2019 at the Institute for Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Affairs and it brought together over 130 high level participants from more than 53 States.

In this event, Ambassadors, Military Attaché, representatives of International Organisations, Academics, State Authorities from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, the Judiciary, the Parliament, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Iranian Red Crescent Society gathered to reaffirm the enduring role of the Geneva Conventions (GCs).

Over 130 high level participants gathered to reaffirm the enduring role of the Geneva Conventions (GCs).

The opening ceremony began with a speech given by Dr. Seyed Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Institute for Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He praised the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ICRC and highlighted the importance of implementation of GCs. He also noted the establishment, position and importance of the National Committee of Humanitarian Law (NCHL) in promotion of IHL in Iran.

Opening Ceremony: 70th Anniversary of the Adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Tehran

The event continued with words of welcome by Mr Reto Stocker, ICRC Head of Delegation in Tehran. He emphasised the common desire of States to apply limits in armed conflicts to protect civilians. This led to the adoption of the GCs in 1949 which today, are among the few international treaties to have been universally ratified, not least because they reflect universal values of ethical behaviour.

The opening ceremony ended with a speech by Dr. Mohamoud Reza Peyravi, Secretary General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society and the Iranian National Committee of Humanitarian Law. He highlighted the importance of the GCs and referred to the process of adoption of the GCs in Iran. He also explained the NCHL’s activities and work related to the training, promotion and implementation of IHL.

Following the opening speeches, a specialised panel of five expert speakers was convened.

The first panelist, Prof. Mohammad Reza Ziaei-Bigdeli, Eminent Professor of Public International Law, highlighted the role of the United Nations, UN Security Council, and International Criminal Courts in the promotion and implementation of IHL.

Ms Farideh Oulad-Ghobad, Member of Parliament and Head of the Women Faction, followed by underlining the importance of enforcement of IHL especially the four GCs, during armed conflicts.

Hojjatoleslam Dr. Mehdi Hadi, Deputy Director General of the Drafting Bills and Judiciary Regulations of the Judiciary, stressed the relation between IHL regulations and principles and national legal systems, as well as the role of the judiciary in ensuring proper implementation of IHL. Moreover, he underlined the need for the criminalisation of IHL violations in the national legal system.

Ms Fiona Barnaby, Regional Legal Adviser of the ICRC, highlighted the importance of promotion of IHL and the basic principles of humanity among various audiences, including among armed forces in war zones to prevent serious IHL violations. She also noted the challenging process of training non-State armed groups on IHL and added that training techniques should follow cultural norms and the specific characteristics of the concerned context.

The final panelist, Ayatoallah Prof. Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad, Eminent Professor of Public International Law, IHL and Islamic Law, discussed the relation between IHL and religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam and further elaborated on the common values of IHL and Islamic teachings from an Islamic jurisprudence perspective.

The specialised panel discussion concluded with a question and answer session moderated by the co-chairs of the panel Ms Barbara Rizzoli, the ICRC Deputy Head of Delegation in Tehran and Mr Seyed Ali Mousavi, Director for Treaties and Public International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The co-chairs concluded the event by noting the need to continue such collaborations in order to promote respect for IHL.

Group Photo: 70th Anniversary of the Adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Tehran

A Side-line Photo Gallery on 70 years of Geneva Conventions