ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (CCJ) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have pledged to deepen International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) through collaboration.
The CCJ and ICRC made this known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)on Friday in Abuja.
Rushonline reports that the MoU aims to engage both parties on topics of mutual interest through various collaborative activities, such as training, roundtables and joint conferences.
The CCJ President, Justice Edward Asante, in his opening remarks, commended the long-standing relationship between the institution and ICRC, saying the latter was an invaluable training partner for building the court’s IHL capacity.
He emphasised the importance of renewing the relationship to continue developing jurisprudence in new areas of law, while welcoming the ongoing cooperation.
The Head of the ICRC delegation, Yann Bonzon, underscored the committee’s historic and valuable relationship with ECOWAS, and detailed the evolution of the partnership to include the first MoU signed in 2001 and that of 2023.
Bonzon emphasised the crucial role of ECOWAS Court in safeguarding IHL and IHRL.
He expressed confidence that the MoU would enhance the expertise and role of the Court in applying the laws and addressing humanitarian challenges in West Africa.
Juliet Unubi, ICRC’s Humanitarian Affairs and Diplomacy Advisor, said the MoU would be mutually beneficial if they leveraged each other’s expertise, and facilitated access to expert opinions, publications and training.
She also pledged ICPR’s commitment to training CCJ’s judges and staffers to strengthen their knowledge and interpretation of international human rights law.
Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, the CCJ’s Chief Registrar, lauded ICRC’s global efforts in protecting victims of armed conflict and violence, and expressed confidence in the effectiveness of the MoU.
Other dignitaries at the event were CCJ Vice President, Judges, Director of Administration and Finance, Director of Research and Documentation, Deputy Chief Registrar, and ICRC’s Deputy Head of Delegation, Rafiullah Qureshi.(NAN)
