As part of the continued association between the Regional Delegation of the ICRC and the Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) on March 22, 2023, H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General, AALCO and Geetika Sharma, Head of Policy Planning and Communications Division, AALCO, paid a courtesy visit to Mr Kedir Awol Omar, Head of the Regional Delegation for India, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives; Mr Sandeep Bali, FAS Delegate and Head of Prevention, ICRC and Ms Gunjan Chawla, Legal Adviser, ICRC, in New Delhi.

As a follow-up to the earlier engagement in June last year (mentioned below), the meeting allowed both sides to discuss upcoming programmes and explore collaboration opportunities.

L-R: Mr Sandeep Bali, FAS Delegate and Head of Prevention, ICRC; Ms Geetika Sharma, Head of Policy Planning and Communications Division, AALCO; H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General of AALCO; Mr Kedir Awol Omar, Head of the Regional Delegation for India, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives; Ms Gunjan Chawla, Legal Adviser, ICRC. ©Ashish Bhatia/ICRC

Meeting in June 2022
H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General, Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), paid a courtesy visit to Mr Kedir Awol Omar, Head of the Regional Delegation for India, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives on June 24, 2022, in New Delhi. Mrs Anuradha Bakshi, Deputy Director, AALCO and Dr Deepali Gaur, Head of Humanitarian and Legal Affairs, ICRC were also present during the meeting.

L-R: H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General of AALCO and H.E. Mr Kedir Awol Omar, Head of the Regional Delegation for India, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. ©Ashish Bhatia/ICRC

The meeting was an opportunity for H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol and H.E. Mr Kedir Awol Omar to discuss the long-standing relationship between AALCO and the ICRC and the means to develop the partnership further. AALCO and the ICRC have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2003, which provides for institutional collaboration on promoting international humanitarian law (IHL).

L-R: Dr Deepali Gaur, Head of Humanitarian and Legal Affairs, ICRC, H.E. Dr Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General of AALCO, H.E. Mr Kedir Awol Omar, ICRC Head of the Regional Delegation for India, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives and Mrs Anuradha Bakshi, Deputy Director, AALCO. ©Ashish Bhatia/ICRC