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advocacy programsfor protected or vulnerable groups, especially those who are most
prone to becomevictimsof violations of HR andprinciples of IHL;
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advocacy for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for
HumanRights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL);
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handholdingof leaders and opinion makers to become HRand IHL advocates;
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Establishment of the [HL Division within the Human Rights Education and Research
Office; and,
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Forging of agreements between and among stakeholders for HR and IHL promotion
and protection.
With the advent of the 60" year of the Geneva Conventions, the Civil Society Initiatives on
IHL (CSI-IHL) sought a partnership arrangement with CHRin organizing a 60-day celebration
of the Geneva Conventions. The CHR partnership with CSI-IHL produced a line-up of
commemorative activities that commenced with “Kite Flying for IHL”, followed by series of
��THL road shows”and climaxed with the joint implementation of the herein reported “National
Summit on THL”.
The National Summit on IHL aimed to produce the following substantive outputs: a national
situationer on IHL in the Philippines; recommendations towards a Philippine Program ofAction
on JHL; and, a Summit Communiqué. These outputs were deemed importantto the peace talks
between the Governmentof the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front
as well as other parties.
As proposed by CHR, the National Summit on International Humanitarian Law in the
Philippines was adopted as the main celebratory event of the National Inter-Agency Ad-Hoc
Committee created by Executive Order 134 to spearhead the observance ofAugust 12 as IHL
Day. With the E0134 Ad-Hoc Committee’s support, CHR wasalso able to organize simultaneous
Regional IHL Summits nationwide. In this vein, CHR would like to thank the EO134 Ad-Hoc
Committee, chaired and co-chaired by the Department ofForeign Affairs and the Department of
National Defence, respectively, for its full support to the conduct of the National Summit on
THL.
.
Finally, CHR wishesto also thank the Embassy of Switzerlandfor its support in the printing
of this Report of Proceedings of the National Summit on IHL in the Philippines. Printed
copies can now be distributed by CHR to main IHL duty bearersand toall participants to keep
them reminded of their commitments.
ANA ELZY E. OFRENEO
Director IV
HumanRights Education and Research Office
Commission on HumanRights
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