Election of a new President and a new Vice-President [15/03/2006]
At the occasion of their annual meeting 2006 (15 March 2006), the Members of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission have elected their first Vice-President Professor Ghalib Djilali as their new President in replacement of Sir Kenneth Keith. Indeed Sir Kenneth Keith had to resign from his functions as a President and a Member of the Commission following his election as a Judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
The members have unanimously elected Professor Ghalib Djilali and look forward to a good and interesting collaboration with their new President.
The Members of the commission and the Secretariat also take this opportunity to announce that during the same annual meeting the Professor Michael Bothe has been elected as Vice-President. The Diplomatic Conference will take place on 7 December 2006 in Bern, in the building of the Universal Postal Union Bern.
Beginning of May, the 68 High Contracting Parties which have currently recognised the Commission have been invited to submit the name of their candidate to the elections.
· 09 December 2005
Promotional mission by the IHFFC to New York [09/12/2005]
A delegation of the IHFFC, including Sir Kenneth Keith (President), Dr. Ghalib Djilali (1st Vice-President), Dr. Elzbieta Mikos-Skuza (2nd Vice-President) and Ambassador Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo, accompanied by a member of the Secretariat, Ms Véronique Haller, have undertaken a promotional mission to New York, US.
The delegation had the opportunity to hold interesting and constructive meetings with a number of interlocutors from the United Nations (including Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, Under-Secretary-General Mr. Nicolas Michel, Assistant-Secretary-General Mr. Hédi Annabi, et al.), from Permanent missions (UK president of the Security Council, high representatives of Russia, China and more) and from the academic and NGO field. The objective of the mission was to promote the existence and the field of action of the Commission as well as an exchange of views on the role of the Commission. The feedback has been very positive and the Commission looks forward to continue its work.
The United Nation Secretary - General, M. Kofi Annan, surrounded by the delegation of the Commission, composed from left to right by Véronique Haller (FDFA), Elzbieta Mikos-Skuza (Vice-President), Sir Kenneth Keith (President), Ghalib Djilali (Vice-President) and Antonio Yañes-Barnuevo (membre) Meeting of the delegation of the Commission with representatives of the government of Brunei Darussalam (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and of Defense). In the middle, Prof. Elzbieta Mikos-Skuza (Poland), head of delegation of the Commission and Mr Alaihuddin Taha, Director of the Department of International Organisations at the MFA.
Mrs Elzbieta Mikos-Skuza, vice-president of the Commission with the Senior Colonel Nguyen Trong Dac from the Minstry of Defense.
The Head of the cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, Mrs. Sophea Eat, and the delegation of the Commission, composed, from left to right by Mr. Marcel Dubouloz, Ms. Véronique Haller and Mrs. Elzbieta Mikos-Skuza. The Ambassador of Poland in Phnom Penh, Mr. Ryszard Olszewski, accompanied (to the right) the delegation.
Rt Hon Sir Kenneth Keith new member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) [09/12/2005]
The members of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission and its Secretariat, would like to warmly congratulate Sir Kenneth Keith on his brilliant election as a member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). After having been part of the New Zealand legal team that took cases before the ICJ, along with Australia, to challenge the legality of (French) nuclear tests in the Pacific, he has now been elevated to become the first New Zealander judge at the world's pre-eminent international court. It is an inestimable honour for the IHFFC to see its President called to take in such a high and prestige position. The members and the Secretariat of the Commission wishes Sir Kenneth Keith all the very best in The Hague.
· 31 August 2004
Japan recognises the competence of the IHFFC [31/08/2004]
Japan has deposited the Instrument of Accession to both of the Protocols Additional of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of the Victims of International and Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I and II). Japan has as well deposited the declaration relating to its recognition of the competence of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, based on Article 90 of Protocol I. Both Instruments of Accession and the Declaration were deposited with the Swiss Federal Council, in its capacity as depository of the Protocols, on 31 August 2004. The Protocols will enter into force for Japan six months after the deposit of the instruments of accession, i.e. on 28 February 2005.
Japan will be the 68th State to have accepted the Competence of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission.
· 01 June 2004
Burkina Faso recognises the competence of the IHFFC [01/06/2004]
On 24 May 2004, the Government of Burkina Faso recognised the competence of the IHFFC, becoming the 67th State to do so. Burkina Faso is the 11th African State Party of the IHFFC after Algeria, Togo, Seychelles, Rwanda, Madagascar, Guinea, Namibia, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali.
The Commission invites all other African States to do the same on the basis of the UN resolution and the resolutions of the 27th and 28th Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in which States are invited to recognise the competence of the IHFFC.
· 18 April 2004
The Republic of Korea recognises the competence of the IHFFC [18/04/2004]
On 16 April 2004, the Government of the Republic of Korea recognised the competence of the IHFFC. The Republic of Korea is the 66th State to have done so.
· 21 February 2004
Promotional mission by the IHFFC to central and east Africa [21/02/2004]
A delegation of the IHFFC, including Dr. Ghalib Djiliali, 1st Vice-President, and Ambassador Juan Antonio Yañez Barnuevo, 2nd Vice-President, accompanied by a member of the Secretariat, Mr Daniel Derzic, have undertaken a promotional mission to Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger and Senegal.
In all four countries, the delegation held very constructive meetings with high-ranking government officials as well as with the Presidents or Vice-Presidents of the National Red Cross Societies and members of civil society active in this area. The delegation took pains to point out that of the 66 countries world-wide to have recognised the competence of the Commission only 10 are African, and that Africa is represented in the Commission by only one member. In view of this situation, it invited these States to recognise the competence of the Commission as soon as possible.
3003 Bern