The ICRC, at the request of the Indian Coast Guard establishment, recently conducted an International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights training for 17 Bangladesh naval officers at Kochi in Kerala. Bangladesh and India collaborated in the training, held on 20-21 March.

In this interview, Retired Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force Praful Bakshi, an ICRC consultant who was involved in the training, explains how human rights and IHL violations affect various parties in the maritime domain — from fishermen to civilians; the need for implementation of IHL at sea and the importance of IHL and human rights training for naval officers.

ICRC New Delhi