The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, has raised concerns about the widespread disregard for the Geneva Conventions in global conflicts. In an interview published Sunday in the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Spoljaric urged countries to renew their commitment to respecting International Humanitarian Law.
She warned that international humanitarian law (IHL) is being systematically ignored by those leading military operations. Referring to the shocking number of casualties in conflicts such as those in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, Spoljaric said the scale of suffering is “beyond our imagination.”
The ICRC, which oversees the implementation of the Geneva Conventions and serves as a neutral intermediary in conflicts, is finding its efforts increasingly hampered, with access to those in need becoming more restricted and manipulated, Spoljaric added.
“It is essential to act now,” she emphasised, calling for renewed support for IHL, which is designed to limit the impact of war and safeguard civilians.
On Friday, the ICRC launched an initiative alongside six countries—Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa—aiming to rally political support for the international humanitarian law. In a joint statement, the countries described the Geneva Conventions, established in 1949 following World War II, as representing humanity’s shared conscience, and values that transcend borders and beliefs.
However, they acknowledged that the suffering currently seen in conflicts worldwide demonstrates a failure to uphold and respect the conventions’ fundamental principles.
The ICRC’s new initiative aims to produce concrete recommendations to prevent violations of IHL and enhance the protection of civilians and infrastructure during conflict. The initiative is building towards a high-level international meeting in 2026, focused on “Upholding Humanity in War.”
“The current situation is extremely dangerous,” Spoljaric warned, adding that the trauma from ongoing conflicts could have lasting impacts for decades.
She clarified that the goal is not to rewrite the Geneva Conventions, which remain robust legal frameworks, but to push nations to prioritise their enforcement. “Countries must make the implementation of IHL a political priority,” she said.