27 August 2007

NEWS RELEASE

International ‘Laws of War’ Conference to Be Held in Wellington

International rules governing armed conflict, often termed the ‘laws of war’, will be discussed by over 100 representatives of Commonwealth governments and Red Cross National Societies in Wellington this week during the 2nd Commonwealth Red Cross and Red Crescent International Humanitarian Law conference.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Michael Cullen will open the international conference, which runs from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 August.

The conference, to be chaired by New Zealander Sir Kenneth Keith a Judge on the International Court of Justice in The Hague, will hear from a number of experts including former Iraq UN weapons inspector, Dr Hans Blix, now Chair of the Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Modern conflicts, often within states and involving irregular forces, are posing new challenges in the application of international humanitarian law. Conference discussions will cover the protection of civilians and combatants in armed conflicts; child soldiers; the missing and enforced disappearances; prohibited weapons; cluster munitions and landmines, and the problems of the proliferation of small arms. The role of international tribunals and the connections between international humanitarian law and human rights law will also come under the spotlight.

The Wellington conference will provide an opportunity for Commonwealth members to exchange experiences in advance of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to be held in Geneva in late November.

The 2nd Commonwealth Red Cross and Red Crescent International Humanitarian Law conference is being hosted by the National International Humanitarian Law Committee of New Zealand in conjunction with New Zealand Red Cross and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Commonwealth Secretariat, British Red Cross, NZAID and Telecom.

A photo exhibition, titled ‘Humanity in the Midst of Crisis’, which shows the cruel reality of the impact of war on civilians around the world, will be on display during the conference. The exhibition, compiled by the International Committee of the Red Cross, aims to promote an understanding of international humanitarian law.

ENDS

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