The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC) held its annual meeting from 25 to 27 February in Geneva.
The Commission heard reports from individual members who represented the Commission at the 67th UN General Assembly, at the 21st Session of the UN Human Rights Council and at the 11th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute. The Commission further took note of a number of bilateral meetings with organisations (ICRC, League of Arab States, African Union, Organization of American States) and States with a view to promote recognition of the Commission and to invite States to make the respective declaration under Article 90 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The Commission discussed its strategy and programme of work for the year 2013, deciding, inter alia, that it will reinforce its effort to work towards a greater geographical balance with regard to recognition of the Commission's competence to investigate situations of alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL).
The Commission invited as guest speakers Prof. Carsten Stahn, Prof. Larissa van den Herik and Ms Catherine Harwood who pursue a research project on international fact-finding missions at Leiden University, Cristina Pellandini as Head of the Advisory Service on IHL at the ICRC and Ambassador-at-Large of Switzerland for the Application of IHL, Nicolas Lang.
On Tuesday, 26 February, the Commission hosted a well-attended briefing for States parties followed by a reception. During the briefing, the President of the Commission, Gisela Perren-Klingler, and Vice-President Charles Garraway, thanked States Parties for the support and stressed the role of the Commission as an independent body well suited to investigate alleged violations of IHL.
The date of the annual meeting 2014 will be communicated in due course.
