The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, emphasizing the need to observe humanitarian principles in global conflicts, said: Ending wars has become mission impossible and observing the rules of war should be a priority for policymakers.
Publish dateSunday 2 November 2025 - 15:58
Story Code : 334423
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): A two-day meeting of the Paris Peace Forum was held with the participation of civil society and diplomats to reflect on solutions to achieve peace. Radio France wrote about this: From Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan, ending conflicts seems to have become an “impossible mission.”
Mirjana Spoliaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, spoke at the forum about the organization’s initiative “to revive political commitment to international humanitarian law” and called on the parties to the conflict to “respect humanity in war.” She also participated in an interview with Radio France.
He told a Radio France reporter, who asked him, "At the same time as the Paris Peace Conference, Gaza was bombed, and at least 100 people died. Can we still talk about a ceasefire in Gaza?" We must do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire is respected. The ICRC continues to talk to all parties so that the first step of the ceasefire can be properly taken and lasting agreements can be reached to restore stability and peace to the people."
Spoliaric added: "We cannot allow the resumption of hostilities. This means that the countries that have influence on the current situation have a heavy responsibility to take the necessary measures to ensure that this cessation of hostilities leads to a lasting ceasefire. We must protect civilians. The lives of millions of people depend on maintaining the ceasefire."
Radio France, citing civilian casualties in Gaza and more recently in Sudan, where there are “horrific reports of human rights violations and abuses against civilians,” asked: “How can we curb or prevent this trend of civilians being targeted more than soldiers?”
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said: “In recent years, we have witnessed widespread violations of international human rights. The laws of war are being abandoned in order to achieve complete victory. But complete victory is a complete tragedy for the civilian population. We must reverse this trend and that is why, in collaboration with France, we have launched a global initiative to protect humanity in times of war.”
He continued: “This initiative is in its second year and we hope to hold a higher-level international conference next year. The aim is for countries to understand that it is their responsibility to respect the law. To date, 90 countries have joined the initiative, but we hope that more will join.”
Radio France questioned the "credibility" of this global initiative, citing the "silence and inaction" of many countries in the face of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, and Spoliarik said: "In fact, the problem is that conflicts in Gaza or Sudan are taking place before the eyes of the international community. That is why we are calling on countries to make the laws of war their political priority. They must redouble their efforts to prevent and reduce conflicts and ensure that this approach leads to a ceasefire as soon as possible. Because the longer the conflict lasts, the more difficult it is to return to peace." He stressed: "No one fights alone. Every armed group and every country involved in a war has another country behind the scenes that supports its efforts, ambitions and military strategies." Countries closer to the warring parties should ensure that the laws of war are better respected, as respecting the laws of war saves lives and protects civilian infrastructure, water supplies, hospitals and power grids.
This will help prevent the massive displacement of populations seen, for example, in Sudan, where 12 million people are currently displaced. What we are witnessing today is a direct result of violations of the laws of war, Spoliarik stressed.
Mirjana Spoliaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, spoke at the forum about the organization’s initiative “to revive political commitment to international humanitarian law” and called on the parties to the conflict to “respect humanity in war.” She also participated in an interview with Radio France.
He told a Radio France reporter, who asked him, "At the same time as the Paris Peace Conference, Gaza was bombed, and at least 100 people died. Can we still talk about a ceasefire in Gaza?" We must do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire is respected. The ICRC continues to talk to all parties so that the first step of the ceasefire can be properly taken and lasting agreements can be reached to restore stability and peace to the people."
Spoliaric added: "We cannot allow the resumption of hostilities. This means that the countries that have influence on the current situation have a heavy responsibility to take the necessary measures to ensure that this cessation of hostilities leads to a lasting ceasefire. We must protect civilians. The lives of millions of people depend on maintaining the ceasefire."
Radio France, citing civilian casualties in Gaza and more recently in Sudan, where there are “horrific reports of human rights violations and abuses against civilians,” asked: “How can we curb or prevent this trend of civilians being targeted more than soldiers?”
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said: “In recent years, we have witnessed widespread violations of international human rights. The laws of war are being abandoned in order to achieve complete victory. But complete victory is a complete tragedy for the civilian population. We must reverse this trend and that is why, in collaboration with France, we have launched a global initiative to protect humanity in times of war.”
He continued: “This initiative is in its second year and we hope to hold a higher-level international conference next year. The aim is for countries to understand that it is their responsibility to respect the law. To date, 90 countries have joined the initiative, but we hope that more will join.”
Radio France questioned the "credibility" of this global initiative, citing the "silence and inaction" of many countries in the face of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, and Spoliarik said: "In fact, the problem is that conflicts in Gaza or Sudan are taking place before the eyes of the international community. That is why we are calling on countries to make the laws of war their political priority. They must redouble their efforts to prevent and reduce conflicts and ensure that this approach leads to a ceasefire as soon as possible. Because the longer the conflict lasts, the more difficult it is to return to peace." He stressed: "No one fights alone. Every armed group and every country involved in a war has another country behind the scenes that supports its efforts, ambitions and military strategies." Countries closer to the warring parties should ensure that the laws of war are better respected, as respecting the laws of war saves lives and protects civilian infrastructure, water supplies, hospitals and power grids.
This will help prevent the massive displacement of populations seen, for example, in Sudan, where 12 million people are currently displaced. What we are witnessing today is a direct result of violations of the laws of war, Spoliarik stressed.
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