The Round Table of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law
The 47th Round Table of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law is taking place at Villa Ormond on September 12 and 13. Traditionally, the event will see the collaboration of the International Committee of the Red Cross and will be broadcast live streaming online. These annual meetings on the main themes of humanitarian law have contributed, together with the intense academic activity, to give life to what is known worldwide as "humanitarian dialogue in the spirit of Sanremo" .
The Round Table 2024 will be entitled “From the Battle of Solferino in 1859 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949: challenges and future prospects of international humanitarian law”. High-profile professionals of different nationalities will therefore converge in the City of Flowers to delve into the historical continuity from the Battle of Solferino to the Geneva codification almost a century later .
In reality, the first of the Geneva Conventions was signed in the Alabama room of the Hôtel de Ville of the Swiss city on 22 August 1864 and served to found the International Red Cross by the Genevan Henry Dunant, who in 1901 received the first Nobel Peace Prize. Dunant decided to intervene after his experience in the bloody battle of Solferino, because he realised that a man's life was worth less than that of a horse and therefore, based on the severity of their suffering, no aid was given to wounded soldiers. The transformation of humanitarian law and the Institute that deals with it over time will also be explored, acknowledging the importance of humanitarian principles for the modern resolution of conflicts and for the protection of vulnerable populations .
Historically, the International Institute of Humanitarian Law is an independent, non-profit organization founded in Sanremo in 1970. Recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Law No. 948 of 20 December 1982, it has its operational headquarters at Villa Ormond and a liaison office in Geneva.
Its primary activity is the teaching, development and promotion of international humanitarian law , human rights, refugee law and all related disciplines. The official languages are Italian and English.
Since September of this year , the President has been the Army Corps General (res.) Giorgio Battisti . The Honorary President is the jurist Fausto Pocar , already President of the Institute from 2012 to 2019 .
The Municipality of Sanremo and the Italian Red Cross are ex officio members of the Institute's board , which works closely with the most relevant international humanitarian organizations.
In conclusion, this is an excellence of the City of Flowers , which thanks to its specific and proven experience has become a world point of reference in the field of training and research for the dissemination of international humanitarian law in every aspect.
For example, the Sanremo Manual on International Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts at Sea, developed between 1988 and 1994, remains the most widely used guide in Naval Military Academies around the world; and the most authoritative source on the rules of engagement of military and police forces at the international level is the "Sanremo Handbook on the Rules of Engagement (RoE)", published in 2009.