On the 10th of July, the Lieutenant General (retd) Giorgio BATTISTI, Vice President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) visited the NATO SFA COE.
Founded in 1970 in Sanremo, the IIHL is an independent, “non-profit, humanitarian association having social values as its objectives”. For almost 50 years it has played an important and unique role in debates and analysis on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and its applicability.
During the visit, the Director of the NATO SFA COE emphasized that SFA activities need to be linked to Cross Cutting Topics (CCTs) if they are to be effective in creating security and stability. CCTs are a range of different topics falling outside of the primary military’s area of responsibility, but they are relevant for the success of NATO missions and operations. Some commonly recognized CCTs are: the Protection of Civilians; Children and Armed Conflict; Sexual and Gender Based Violence; Cultural Property Protection; Building Integrity; Women, Peace and Security.
In this context, the constructive debate with the prestigious guest was aimed towards the challenges in the current application of International Humanitarian Law and the contrast of corruption in crisis zones. Breaches of IHL and a failure to properly manage corruption and the aforementioned CTTs will contribute to undermine the security and the long-term stability of an Assisted Nation.
Finally, NATO SFA COE courses, research and upcoming editorial projects on the Rule of Law and Governance were identified as possible future areas of cooperation between the two organizations. They will offer an opportunity to encourage exchanges between Subject Matter Experts and mutual invitations in dedicated Round Tables.
