Since its establishment by States, the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IHFFC) has engaged in continuous efforts in order to achieve universal recognition of its competence. Indeed, in order for the Commission to be able to effectively fulfill its mandate, it is desirable that it is recognized by as many States as possible. The efforts by the Commission in this regard are ongoing today, and will continue in the future.
The legal basis of the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IHFFC) is Article 90 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. In fact, the IHFFC is the only permanent treaty-based organ mandated to address incidents in relation to international humanitarian law. The Commission stands at the service of parties to an armed conflict to conduct inquiries into alleged violations of international humanitarian law and to facilitate, through its good offices, the restoration of an attitude of respect for international humanitarian law. In 2017, the Commission successfully accomplished its first operational mission. In the fulfillment of its mandate, the IHFFC observes the principles of neutrality, independence, impartiality, and confidentiality.
According to Article 90 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, States can make a declaration recognizing the competence of the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IHFFC). To this day, 77 States have submitted such a declaration to the depositary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The States, which have recognized the competence of the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IHFFC), regularly elect the 15 Members of the Commission. These 15 members are independent and act in their personal capacity. Current and previous members of the Commission originate from as many as 35 different countries from all continents and various professional backgrounds. A list of all current and previous members is provided on the website of the Commission.
The International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IHFFC) has a budget for administrative expenses. Based on the Financial Procedures established by the States, which have recognized the competence of the Commission, each of these States pays a proportion of these administrative expenses. This proportion is determined in accordance with the scale applied by the United Nations to its regular budget. For reasons of transparency, the Financial Procedures and the list of individual State contributions are provided not only to the concerned States themselves but are also available on the website of the IHFFC.
