4 September 2013 - As part of the series of activities organized in observance of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Month, the Interim IHL National Committee coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations (UNIO), in cooperation with the Foreign Service Institute, conducted a two-day Training on International Humanitarian Law from August 29 to 30 at the DFA.
Other members of the Interim IHL National Committee include the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Human Rights Office (AFPHRO), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the International Committee of the Red Cross-Philippines (ICRC), the Department of National Defense (DND), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the Philippine National Police- Human Rights Affairs Office (PNPHRAO), the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the Presidential Human Rights Committee-Secretariat (PHRC) and the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PC-ICC). UNIO Assistant Secretary Jesus R.S Domingo served as lead coordinator for the event.
The training, which was participated in by approximately 150 representatives from various government agencies, civil society organizations and the academe, covered such topics as IHL Principles, the Rome Statute, Limits on the Means and Methods of Warfare, Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, Internal Displacement in the context of IHL, Refugee Law, Crime of Aggression and Strengthening IHL Compliance and the Montreux Document. The presentations can be accessed through a link in the DFA website.
The speakers were Atty. Evecar Cruz-Ferrer (ICRC), Atty. Hermie Angeles (DOJ), Gen. Nestor Fajura (Ret., Former Chief, PNP HRAO), Assistant Secretary Jesus Domingo (UNIO-DFA), Atty. Lorna Kapunan (PRC), Atty. Jim Arroyo (OPAPP), Atty. Anna Tarhata-Basman (GPNP-MILF), Atty. Cecilia Jimenez (IDP Project, CHR), Mr. Rico Salcedo ( UNHCR-Manila), H.E. Ivo Sieber (Embassy of Switzerland to the Philippines), Prof. Raul Pangalangan (UP College of Law) and Prof. Harry Roque (UP College of Law). The training program was opened by Col. Rhoderick Parayno (AFP HRO) while Ambassador Rosario Manalo and Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago served as moderators.
During the event, the Commission on Human Rights, represented by Commissioner Jose Manuel, S. Mamauag, held a soft launching of the Proceedings of the 2nd National International Humanitarian Law Summit which was conducted in December 2012. END