QNA
Doha
The National Committee for International Humanitarian Law at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), in cooperation with the Jordanian National Committee for International Humanitarian Law, organised a joint symposium yesterday during which they reviewed the importance of medical services in times of armed conflicts.
The symposium addressed the explicit rules in international humanitarian law for the purpose of protecting access to healthcare services in times of armed conflicts, which oblige states and armed groups to respect and protect individuals working in medical missions.
At the opening of the symposium, Undersecretary of Ministry of Justice and Chairperson of the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law, Sultan bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi, welcomed Chairperson of the Jordanian National Committee for International Humanitarian Law, retired Lt. General Mamoun Al Khasawneh, President of the Moroccan National Committee on International Humanitarian Law Dr. Farida El Khamlichi, and Head of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Qatar Basma Tabaja, in addition to the participants in the symposium.
He noted that this joint symposium comes in implementation of the provisions of the memorandum of understanding signed between the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law and its partner, Jordanian counterpart, pointing out that international humanitarian law contains explicit rules for the purpose of protecting access to health care services in times of armed conflicts, which oblige states and armed groups to respect and protect individuals engaged in medical missions, as well as in all circumstances to respect and protect medical units, such as hospitals and infrastructure dedicated to medical purposes.
Undersecretary of Ministry of Justice stressed that medical units and personnel must not be attacked, nor must access to them be restricted, indicating that parties to an armed conflict must take the necessary measures to protect medical units from attacks, and must take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to medical personnel, or damage to medical units and medical transport, considering the noble and distinguished services medical workers provide, and their purely humanitarian role, in which they expose themselves to targeting, whether directly or indirectly.
The outcomes and recommendations of this important symposium will receive full attention to be translated into practical plans and programs, which will serve as a resource for the Qatari and Jordanian committees in their future work, and as an embodiment of the joint keenness to implement international humanitarian law in the best possible way, he added.
Lt. General Al Khasawneh highlighted the importance of providing medical services during armed conflicts, such as what is happening in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis in the Strip, as well as the collapse of infrastructure and the lack of medical facilities to provide treatment for the injured and sick, which is in violation of international humanitarian law.