The International Committee of the Red Cross has called on stakeholders to improve efforts to ensure that various treaties of international humanitarian law are domesticated in Nigeria.

Deputy Head of Delegation for the ICRC in Nigeria, Rafiullah Qureshi, said this in Abuja on Tuesday during an ECOWAS annual review meeting.

Mr Qureshi called on the government to ensure that the treaties were brought down further as policy as well as standard operating procedures level to make the laws applicable.

According to him, the ICRC works with various actors in a country, such as Nigeria, and other countries in the region.

He said, “We work with officials of the Ministry of Justice, organisations such as ECOWAS parliaments, police and other security forces to ensure that these laws are not only understood but applied. So starting from the top tier of the government right down to the ground level, we will like to see that everyone is aware of their responsibility as per international humanitarian law.’’

Mr Qureshi said that the year 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949—the cornerstone of IHL—and the 160th anniversary of the very first Geneva Convention of 1864.

According to him, these anniversaries are reminiscent of the international consensus around the idea that even war has its limits.

He said that they also provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of IHL for the protection of victims of armed conflicts.

“This year’s annual meeting will therefore be an opportunity to create, without any political narrative, this framework for reflection, exchange of experiences and good practices on strengthening respect for IHL. It will also be an opportunity for member states to make strong commitments for the effective implementation of IHL in the ECOWAS region,” he said.

In her speech, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, said the commission was collaborating with the ICRC to ensure protection of the vulnerable population affected by conflicts.

Ms Tarfa-Ugbe said that the capacity building of members had also created a platform for member states to meet and exchange best practices.

“As the ECOWAS Commission, to really enhance the implementation of the law within the region, we have collaborated with the ICRC and have adopted a regional action plan,” she said.

According to her, the regional action plan is used to support member states to ensure that there is protection for people vulnerable and affected by conflict.

She said that another thing the two organisations have also been able to enhance is the development of policies and programmes.

“For example, in Nigeria, we developed a policy for IDPs and strengthened the National Commission for Refugees and Migrants,” Ms Tarfa-Ugbe said.

Also speaking, focal person for the National Committee for the Implementation of IHL in Nigeria, Abimbola Ajele, said that there were still gaps in the implementation of IHL.

Ms Ajele said that in Nigeria, most of the treaties have to be domesticated because, according to Section 12 of the constitution, they will not be legally binding if they are not domesticated.

According to her, a country does not just sign for signing sake.

She stated, “So when these treaties are signed and they are domesticated, they become binding on all of us. So even citizens are also expected to watch out for either infractions of the provisions of these treaties in the country and then report them.’’

 (NAN)