Nairobi, 6 October 2026 – Against the backdrop of ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in various regions of the world, including Africa, strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) has become particularly important.
A regional seminar entitled “National Committees on International Humanitarian Law and Beyond: Implementing the Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law and its Recommendations”, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, was held in Nairobi with the participation of representatives from East African countries.
The event discussed the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to IHL, launched in 2024 by six founding States, including Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross. In December 2026, Jordan will host the high-level “Humanity in War” Conference, which will mark an important milestone and the culmination of work under the Initiative.
Speaking at the seminar, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kenya and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Barlybay Sadykov, underscored the importance of respecting international humanitarian law, the principles of the UN Charter, the peaceful settlement of disputes, preventive diplomacy, and strengthening confidence-building measures.
The Ambassador reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to IHL and called on African States to join the Initiative and contribute to further strengthening the international humanitarian legal framework.
Background:The Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law was launched in September 2024 at the initiative of Kazakhstan, Brazil, China, France, Jordan and South Africa, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross. To date, 120 States from all regions of the world have joined the Initiative, confirming broad international interest in strengthening respect for and compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law.
