German Red Cross Committee on International Humanitarian Law
Mandate and Legal basis
The Expert Committee fulfills a dual function as an advisory body to the GerRC Presidency and as the German Committee on International Humanitarian Law and was established in 1973. Its legal basis is derived from §§ 13 VIII, 22 I, 22 VIII GerRC statutes.
As the German Committee on IHL, it pursues the goal of providing a platform for discussion and coordination between the German Red Cross, academia and the various departments of the Federal Government. In this context, questions on the implementation of international humanitarian law in the German legal and administrative system, the dissemination of international humanitarian law and its further development are among the substantive focal points of the Committee. In its deliberations, the Committee addresses current problems of international law, makes recommendations, participates in the drafting of conference resolutions and in the development of international agreements, and through its discussions contributes to the formulation of positions of the Federal Government on questions of international humanitarian law.
Work of the Committee
The German Committee on International Humanitarian Law continuously publishes the report on the implementation of international humanitarian law in the Federal Republic of Germany (for more on this, see below). In addition, the active role that the Committee has taken with regard to the development of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1977 and their ratification by Germany is particularly noteworthy.
The problem of the use of cluster munitions and the German initiative regarding an international convention on cluster munitions were also discussed in detail by the committee. Members of the German Red Cross and the German government agreed that such a convention should also contain provisions on victim assistance. In addition, the German government took up a demand of the German Red Cross and lobbied internationally to include the problem of potentially indiscriminate effects of cluster munitions. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was finally adopted in 2008 and includes these two aspects, also reflects the importance of exchanges within the Committee.
In addition, the Committee has made a decisive contribution in the field of international criminal law by assisting in both the establishment of the International Criminal Court and the national implementation of international criminal law. In particular, issues relating to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, such as the elements of crime, were discussed in depth by the Committee, which was also involved in the drafting of the (German) International Criminal Code.
The expert committee consists of representatives of the federal ministries concerned with international humanitarian law, members of international law academia and staff of the relevant expert teams in the General Secretariat of the German Red Cross (see below).
Current report
Contact
German Red Cross Committee on International Humanitarian Law
c/o German Red Cross e.V. - General Secretariat
Legal Office Team
Carstennstrasse 58
12205 Berlin
Head of Legal Department
Sebastian Hofer
Phone: +49 (0) 30 85404 184
Email: s.hofer(at)drk(dot)de
Legal Officer
Jakob Nikfarjam
Telefon: +49 (0) 30 85404 368
E-Mail: hvr(at)drk(dot)de