Panel Discussion on the Implementation of the Geneva Conventions in Ukraine

A panel discussion on the implementation of the Geneva Conventions in Ukraine was held as part of the Ukrainian Red Cross Summer School on International Humanitarian Law for Civil Servants, which was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. 

International and Ukrainian experts, along with representatives of the Government and non-governmental organisations, representatives of the Ukrainian Red Cross and partners within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the leadership of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Danish Red Cross Mission in Ukraine, the Ambassador of Denmark to Ukraine provided expert opinions on the relevance, realities, and prospects of implementing the Geneva Conventions in Ukraine and the experience of international partners in this issue. 

“Today, we understand how important it is to create Ukraine’s position in the world by coordinating with international organisations and the governments of our international partners, receiving expert and, importantly, financial assistance. Especially when we talk about the implementation and development of international humanitarian law. Currently, the Interagency Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine, of which the Ukrainian Red Cross is a member, is functioning in Ukraine. The goal of the Interagency Commission is to bring Russia to justice for its actions,” said Iryna Vereshchuk, Vice Prime Minister – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Head of the Interagency Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine. 

“Ensuring compliance with the Geneva Conventions is not just a legal obligation, but also a moral imperative. National and international political commitments are crucial to implementing and ensuring respect for these norms, especially in the context of the ongoing international armed conflict in Ukraine,” stated Ievgeniia Lukianchenko, the Ukrainian Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Adviser. 

It is important to note that international humanitarian law (IHL) comprises a set of rules aimed at limiting the humanitarian consequences of war. Its primary objective is to restrict the means and methods of warfare while ensuring the protection and humane treatment of individuals who are not, or are no longer, directly participating in hostilities.