Liberia International Humanitarian Law Committee Reviews Draft Geneva Convention Act

Monrovia – The Liberia International Humanitarian Law Committee has held a one-day Stakeholders Round Table to review the draft Geneva Convention Act. Although Liberia is a state party to the Geneva Convention, the instrument has not been domesticated. Thus, the Roundtable will review the draft, make inputs and discuss ways to lobby and ensure the enactment of the Geneva Convention Act which domesticates the instrument.

The Roundtable took place on Wednesday, May 16 in the Conference Room of the AFL Headquarters at the Barclay Training Center.  Among stakeholders expected to the roundtable are the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, LIS, LNP, AFL, UNDP, EU, MRU and the AU.

The Liberia International Humanitarian Law Committee is an inter-agency committee that is headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-chaired by the Law Reform Commission.  The Committee works towards the domestication of all international humanitarian protocols that have been ratified by the Liberian government. Its priorities for this year include the domestication of the Geneva Convention as well as the Kampala Convention.

Moreover, the Committee is dubbing next week as IHL Week in Liberia with the arrival of an expert in the country who will address some sticky issues and try to explain the importance of domesticating the Geneva Convention.  The Committee will host weeklong activities which will include the arrival of the ICRC Expert, Media Sensitivity & Awareness Roundtable, a Technical session on the Kampala Convention an ATT Compliance Stakeholders Seminar and the Geneva Convention 2nd Stakeholders Meeting.

The Committee is hoping that these activities sensitize the public to the work of the committee and bring IHL to the fore.