The Role of the Ukrainian Red Cross in Disseminating Knowledge of International Humanitarian Law

The Ukrainian Red Cross is the national Red Cross Society of Ukraine and forms an integral part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its activities are governed by Ukrainian legislation and its own Statute, and guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Movement. One of its statutory activities is to disseminate knowledge of international humanitarian law (IHL) and to support state authorities in implementing its provisions.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are mandated to promote awareness of IHL and to assist their governments in this area. Specifically, Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement states:

“National Societies disseminate and assist their governments in disseminating international humanitarian law; they take initiatives in this respect. They disseminate the principles and ideals of the Movement and assist those governments which also disseminate them. They also cooperate with their governments to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and to protect the distinctive emblems.”

Thus, the Ukrainian Red Cross is one of the key providers of IHL dissemination, a state obligation explicitly set out in the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Victims of War, dated 12 August 1949.

The Ukrainian Red Cross works closely with authorised state bodies in the field of IHL and is, in particular, a permanent member of the Interagency Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine. Its comprehensive activities include public education on IHL, training for civil servants, and providing expert advice on international humanitarian law.

Raising public awareness of IHL and assisting the state with its implementation are currently among the Ukrainian Red Cross’s priority areas of work. This is especially relevant given the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine, as international humanitarian law is specifically designed to protect victims of war and to limit the methods and means of warfare.