ICRC and UAE Ministry of Defence agree to a workshop on military operations rules

Kuwait (ICRC) – The ICRC and the Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement on 3 July to co-host the next edition of the Senior Workshop on International Rules governing Military Operations (SWIRMO) in Abu Dhabi in October 2018.

“The memorandum of understanding we are signing today with the Ministry of Defence reinforces the important relationship between the ICRC and the UAE government,” said Sophie Barbey, the ICRC's head of mission in the UAE. “Holding the SWIRMO here is a key step forward in efforts to promote the integration of and compliance with the law of armed conflict.”

“The memorandum of understanding broadens our horizons of collaboration on international humanitarian law and fosters an exchange of knowledge and experience between the MoD and the ICRC,” said Major General Pilot Mubarak Al Neyadi, Head of the Executive Directorate of Policy and Cooperation of the Ministry of Defence of the UAE.

More than 100 senior military officers from around the world are expected to participate in the workshop, where they will develop a deeper understanding of the rules governing military operations and discuss the integration of relevant legal standards into military doctrine, education, and training.