BERN, December 21, 2024 (WAFA) — Switzerland is set to host a significant conference in March 2025 focused on the situation in Palestine, with participation from countries that are signatories to the Geneva Conventions.
The event, to be organized under the auspices of the Swiss government, is expected to have considerable political implications and may include calls for imposing an arms embargo on Israel, the occupying power in Palestine.
The Swiss government received a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly to convene this conference, which will center on the protection of civilian populations and address the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The conference will also explore the responsibilities of other nations in relation to these issues.
Switzerland, as the guardian of the Geneva Conventions, plays a crucial role in maintaining the original treaty documents and supporting the signatory nations. Its neutrality in conflicts is a fundamental principle in its role as the official custodian of international humanitarian law.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949, along with their Additional Protocols, establish protections for individuals during times of war, forming the foundation of international humanitarian law. These protections extend to civilians, health workers, the wounded and sick, and prisoners of war.
All 196 signatory states of the Geneva Conventions are bound by these agreements, which are applicable in the Palestinian territories due to Israel's ongoing military occupation.
The United Nations General Assembly, in July 2024, requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Israel’s occupation. The ICJ ruled that Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, since 1967 is illegal and must end as soon as possible.
Following the ICJ’s opinion, the UN General Assembly in September decided to organize an international conference on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which provides the primary legal framework for the protection of civilian populations in occupied territories. The assembly instructed Switzerland to hold this conference within six months.
The Fourth Geneva Convention mandates that an occupying power must protect civilians under its control and prohibits the deportation or transfer of part of the occupied population.
It also requires the occupying power to provide food and clothing for the civilian population and to allow neutral humanitarian organizations to assist if the occupying power is unable to do so.
Switzerland has previously hosted three conferences on this topic, in 1999, 2001, and 2014. The earlier conferences affirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.
The 2014 conference, convened after a 50-day Israeli military operation in Gaza, resulted in a unanimous declaration emphasizing the need for all actors, including non-state actors, to comply with international humanitarian law.
The 2014 declaration also reaffirmed that Israel’s construction of the separation wall and expansion of settlements in occupied territories is illegal, stressing the need for protection for Palestinian civilians.
M.N
