12 countries attend IHL seminar in Manila

MANILA – A six-day regional seminar on international humanitarian law – jointly organized by the University of the Philippines College of Law and the International Committee of the Red Cross – has began Monday in Manila.

The six-day event, the ninth edition of the South-East and North-East Asian Teaching Session on international humanitarian law, is attended by 45 participants, mostly military and police officers, law professors, diplomats and humanitarian workers from China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

“The aim (of this seminar) is to enhance the participants’ knowledge of the law applicable in armed conflict and other situations of violence. The seminar is designed for people who teach international law and policy, or work in related fields and deal with humanitarian issues.”

“Participants will deepen their understanding of legal frameworks and develop their ability to teach and spread knowledge of humanitarian law as well as use it for policy-making,” Evecar Ferrer, the ICRC’s legal adviser in the Philippines, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

As part of its mandate, and in order to protect civilians suffering the effects of armed conflict, the ICRC said it strives to raise awareness of and promote compliance with international humanitarian law. (Mindanao Examiner, ICRC)