In a shocking twist, Switzerland has today canceled its long-anticipated conference on the application of Geneva Conventions in occupied Palestinian territories. Four diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday that the decision followed complaints from several states over the framework of the event, which had not managed to bring together enough participants. Slated to be held in Geneva on March 7, the conference was to hear testimonies from civilians about the situation they endure as a result of the Fourth Geneva Convention in occupied West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
The Swiss authorities had extended invitations to all governments that are 196 parties to the Geneva Conventions for a constructive conversation on humanitarian protections for civilians in conflict zones or under occupation. Abruptly though, the meeting was called off after organizers found that key actors would not attend. Among them was the Palestinian delegation, which had earlier declared its intention to boycott the meeting.
Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador at the UN office in Geneva, criticized a draft document circulated among participants on the ground that it had failed to meet any expectation. “We want the international community to take concrete measures, and this fell short of what is needed,” Khraishi told Reuters. He emphasized that symbolic discussions are no longer sufficient, advocating instead for tangible actions such as economic sanctions or diplomatic pressure on Israel to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions. “What we want is for the Geneva Conventions to be implemented,” he added, reflecting the frustration felt by many Palestinians over what they perceive as a lack of enforcement of international law.
Geneva Convention
The Fourth Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II, establishes critical safeguards for civilians in areas of armed conflict or occupation. According to this convention it is forbidden to engage in collective punishment along with property destruction and forced population transfer. Human rights organizations with Palestinian support have documented over many years that Israel breaks these principles while dealing with Palestinian populations in occupied areas. The process of holding Israel accountable meets opposition from authoritative nations that creates obstacles for implementing the convention’s regulatory framework.
The ended conference exposes the fundamental differences between international actors about proper Palestinian-Israeli conflict handling. Various nations have different perspectives about holding meetings dedicated to accountability because they believe these sessions increase tension by focusing on Israel alongside preferring diplomatic collaboration. Divergent opinions among states about the conference probably caused many nations to refuse participation thus making the event impractical.
Switzerland which holds custodianship of the Geneva Conventions tries to establish its position as a bipartisan agent for international humanitarian issues. The diplomatic reputation of Switzerland proved insufficient to overcome the difficulties of arranging an event about this sensitive political matter. The event cancellation demonstrates wider institutional problems regarding global humanitarian law violations especially when leading nations fail to deliver effective enforcement actions.
For Palestinians, the canceled conference is just another sign of the struggle they face to muster meaningful international support. Their demands for accountability are often eclipsed by geopolitics, leaving them with a sense of being unheard. With the reality on the ground in the occupied territories worsening, the questions many doubt will not go unanswered are whether the mechanisms aimed at protecting civilians in warfare can be implemented or if they will just be good intentions with no policies that can be implemented.
Switzerland may try to raise the matter again, but failure this time round demonstrates that the time has come to refocus on the principles of Geneva and act to bring them back to the forefront of the international arena. Until then, the suffering of millions of Palestinians living under occupation is a painful reminder of what is possible under international law when we lack the political will.
