The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad considered the re-election of Professor Rachid Belhadj for a second term of five (5) years as a member of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission as “an additional culmination of Algeria’s diplomatic work.”
“The re-election of Professor Belhadj represents a further culmination of Algeria’s diplomatic work and embodies our country’s commitment to obtaining a mandate in this commission for the application of international humanitarian law,” the ministry statement said.
The ministry stressed that Belhadj’s re-election also constitutes “a deserved recognition of the Algerian candidate’s personal qualities and his contribution to the work of the commission since his election to a first term in 2017.”
Rachid Belhadj, who is head of the forensic medicine department at Mustapha Pacha Hospital (Algiers) and president of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Medicine in Algiers, was re-elected with 53 votes out of 58 who participated in the election process on the occasion of Barn (Switzerland) meeting that brought together the states parties (76 countries) to the additional protocol No. 1 to Geneva Conventions, which accepted the competence of the Commission, including Algeria.
The other nominees come from 14 countries: Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, Madagascar, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, United Kingdom, Slovakia and Sweden.
As a reminder, the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission is a body composed of 15 experts, established in implementation of the provisions of Additional Protocol No. 1 to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, in order to respond to incidents related to international humanitarian law.
The Commission remains at the disposal of the parties to the armed conflict in order to ensure, through their good offices, the facilitation of respect for international humanitarian law.
Algerian experts have always been a member of the commission since its establishment in 1991.
