1949 Geneva Conv./Additional Protocols, protection of civilians in armed conflict – GA Sixth Cttee debate – Summary records (excerpts)

Sixth Committee

Summary record of the 21st meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Thursday, 9 November 2006, at 10 a.m.

 Chairman:   Mr. Gómez Robledo …………………………………………………………………….  (Mexico)

Contents

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Agenda item 75: Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts ( continued)

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The meeting was called to order at 10.15 a.m.

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Agenda item 75: Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts (continued) (A/C.6/61/L.9)

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16.  Ms. Negm (Egypt), speaking in explanation of position, said that her delegation felt it important to explain its reasons for joining the consensus on the draft resolution despite reservations about the preambular paragraph mentioning Additional Protocol III and the new emblem. That paragraph was to be taken merely as an expression of the latest developments regarding the Additional Protocols and did not in any way represent support for the new emblem. The adoption of Additional Protocol III by a vote without taking into account reservations made during the negotiations had been an unfortunate precedent. Those reservations still stood, chief among them concern that adoption of the new emblem should apply only inside Israel and not in the occupied Arab territories in Palestine or the Golan. When the memorandum of understanding between the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Israeli Red Star of David Society had been signed, the representatives of the Israeli Red Star of David Society had given explicit assurances that they would not operate in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, without consulting the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and that they would follow the same procedure with respect to the Syrian Red Crescent Society in the Golan Heights. That had not yet happened on the ground. Her delegation also continued to have reservations about amending the Statutes and the Rules of Procedure of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement prior to the entry into force of Protocol III, and about the Israeli Red Star of David Society’s inclusion of armed soldiers in its teams, which was a violation of International Federation of the Red Cross resolution XI of 1921. Her delegation wished to see a cessation of violations committed by the national red cross society to which the Protocol was designed to apply. But given the importance of the resolution as a whole to international humanitarian law, her delegation would not oppose it.

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18.   Draft resolution A/C.6/61/L.9 was adopted.

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The meeting rose at 11.50 a.m.

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