GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross sounded the alarm over the blatant disregard shown for the Geneva Conventions in conflicts worldwide, in an interview published Sunday.
Mirjana Spoljaric called on countries to urgently recommit to respecting international law in an interview with Swiss daily Le Temps.
International humanitarian law (IHL) was being “systematically trampled underfoot by those who lead military operations”, she said.
She pointed to “the number of wounded and dead during the conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine”, which she said was “beyond our imagination”.
The ICRC is the caretaker of the Geneva Conventions which strives to act as a neutral intermediary in conflicts. But it was finding its access to populations in need “increasingly constrained (and) instrumentalized”, said Spoljaric.
It is “indispensable to act now”, she said, in support of international humanitarian law — the function of which is to limit the effects of armed conflict and protect civilians.
On Friday the ICRC launched an initiative with six countries — Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa — in a bid to galvanise political support for IHL.
The Geneva Conventions, adopted in 1949 in the wake of World War II, “embody humanity’s shared conscience, values that transcend borders and creeds”, they said in a joint statement.
“Yet, the suffering we witness today in armed conflicts around the world is proof that respect for and compliance with their most fundamental rules are not being upheld.”
The initiative will strive to develop concrete recommendations for ways to prevent IHL violations and promote increased protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, said the IHRC.
It is working towards a high-level international meeting in 2026 focused on how to “Uphold Humanity in War”, ICRC said.
“The current situation is extremely dangerous,” said Spoljaric. “The trauma created by ongoing conflicts risks haunting us for decades.”
She added: “The idea is not to reinvent the Geneva Conventions, which remain solid legal texts, but to urge States to apply them…countries must implement IHL as a political priority.