149th IPU Assembly
Geneva
13–17 October 2024
Appeal of the Committee to Promote Respect
for International Humanitarian Law
Endorsed by the IPU Governing Council at its 214th session
(Geneva, 17 October 2024)
The Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law, whose primary mission includes
the protection of civilians in armed conflicts and enabling international, humanitarian, and regional
organizations to extend a helping hand to all humans on this planet, calls upon the international
community, within the framework of Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings, to put pressure on the parties to
the conflict in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza to avert the spectre of a full-scale war in the region from which
no one would escape.
The escalation of the conflict, the disruption of oil flow from the Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf to
Europe, and the deterioration of the global economy will affect us all. Therefore, we call on everyone to
exercise restraint and avoid being dragged into wars.
We call on everyone to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law (IHL), which we
have all agreed as nations to be bound by. Respect for IHL means that all civilians must be protected
and should not be objects of an attack. Obligations under IHL include the humane treatment of detainees
and the release of hostages.
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