The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organised a two-day workshop 9-12 April 2019, on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for judges, prosecutors and court officers in two different districts (Palpa and Chitwan) of Nepal in partnership with the National Judicial Academy (NJA). Altogether 45 judges from surrounding districts learnt more about the IHL, International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and Transitional Justice (TJ).

In his opening remarks, NJA’s Deputy Executive Director Kedar Paudel said:

“The NJA is pleased to continue its collaboration with the ICRC in promoting the IHL for the judicial sector in the country. The workshop will contribute to gain better understanding of IHL and its link with international law, human rights law and criminal law. It is of specific importance to Nepal as the country is going through a process of transitional justice.”

The ICRC has been partnering with the NJA since 2016 to reach out to the judiciary in view of the ongoing transitional justice process and relevance of the IHL. So far, seven such workshops have been organised benefitting over 150 judges. The ICRC’s Regional Legal Adviser Kirsty Welch joined the workshop as an expert speaker.

André Paquet, Head of ICRC Mission in Nepal while addressing the workshop said:

“12 years after the end of the conflict, we continue caring for the conflict-victims. We stand ready to discuss the situation for the conflict-victims, to discuss the application of International Humanitarian Law and to help building guidelines and procedures at the request of the Government of Nepal and the conflict-victims associations.”

“On the 70^th anniversary of 1949 Geneva Conventions, the ICRC aims to secure firm re-commitments from States and their societies to the basic rules of the Geneva Conventions and increase universal acceptance and implementation of IHL,” he added.