LOC20:49
17:49 GMT
KUWAIT, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Minister of Justice and Chairman of the National Permanent Committee for International Humanitarian Law, Counselor Nasser Al-Sumait, underscored the country's commitment to building national capacities and strengthening awareness and understanding of international humanitarian law (IHL).
This came in a speech delivered on his behalf by Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice, Awatif Al-Sand, during the launch of a special discussion forum organized by the Kuwait Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies.
The three-day forum targets leaders from various executive and judicial government bodies and is held in cooperation with the National Permanent Committee for International Humanitarian Law.
The national committee, in collaboration with relevant partners, has been keen to enhance compliance with the provisions of IHL in line with Kuwait's obligations arising from its accession to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the 1977 Additional Protocols, and other international legal instruments and charters, the minister added.
He noted that, under its founding mandate, the committee is responsible for coordinating efforts among concerned government entities, participating in national, regional and international events, and contributing to the drafting and review of relevant national legislation.
Al-Sumait said that the committee works to build national capacities through seminars, discussion forums, training and educational programs, reflecting Kuwait's commitment to the principles of international law and their institutional and legislative consolidation.
In turn, Director of the Kuwait Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies, First Advocate General Counselor Bader Al-Massad, noted the forum is an extension of the institute's ongoing efforts to promote and entrench the culture of IHL and raise awareness of its importance in safeguarding human dignity.
Al-Massad affirmed the institute's belief that effective application of IHL rules can only be achieved through deepening legal awareness and expanding the circle of beneficiaries, noting that the institute has issued numerous specialized publications addressing various aspects of IHL.
Meanwhile, Head of the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Mamadou Sow, said Kuwait's relationship with the ICRC is of great importance, describing the country as an international role model in cooperation and in enacting local legislation to activate IHL provisions.
Sow praised Kuwait as a strong and reliable partner of the ICRC with a distinguished record in amplifying humanitarian issues and giving a voice to the voiceless in international forums.
He also commended the National Permanent Committee for hosting the forum amid global turmoil and widespread disregard for international humanitarian law.
The forum, attended by a select group of court advisors, addresses over three days the definition of international humanitarian law, its relationship with international human rights law, and the principles on which it is based, alongside recent developments in the field. (end)
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