Participation of the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent)ICIC) In the Middle East and North Africa Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (RCRC MENA) September 2-3, 2024 Amman – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
The ICIC delegation participated in the RCRC MENA during the period September 2-3, 2024 in Amman – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The delegation consists of:
1- Ambassador Ali M. Buhedma, ICIC President.
2- Dr. Mohamed H. Elasbali, ICIC Executive Director.
The work of this conference was opened with speeches by H. E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Hadid, President of the Jordan Red Crescent Society(JRCS), H. E. Dr. Yassin Abbas, President of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and President of the 10th MENA Conferenceو Mr. Aloi Fillion, Regional Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and H. E. Ms. Kate Forbes, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in the presence of a representative of the conference sponsor, H. E. Faisal Al-Fayez, President of the Jordanian Senate.
The Conference over the course of two days, 2-3 September 2024, discussed the following topics:
First: Constitutional and procedural matters.
Second: Shifting crises:
1- The impact of the complex crisis.
2- The transformative role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent network in addressing humanitarian needs in the MENA region.
3- Empowering youth and volunteers: strengthening the network of National Societies in the MENA.
Third: National Societies ready for the future.
1- Adapting the capacities and capabilities of National Societies to the changing in the Middle East and North Africa region.
2- Reshaping the humanitarian response in the face of evolving needs: A collaborative approach.
3- Transitioning across global humanitarian dynamics through transformation in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Fourth – Latest developments on legal meetings:
1- Consultation on amendments to the Constitution of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
2- Presentation on the constitutional meetings.
The conference discussion focused on the humanitarian situation in occupied Palestine, in light of the continued escalation of hostilities against civilians, volunteers, medical personnel and facilities, and providing full support to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, called for the implementation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and their Additional Protocols, and called on all parties to work to stop the escalation and enable safe, sustainable and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid within the entire Gaza Strip, and to remove obstacles to the work of humanitarian organizations, including the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The conference called on all RC/RC national societies, the ICRC and IFRC to continue their efforts to urge the international community to secure a safe path for medical and ambulance teams and relief convoys where needed, and to ensure respect for the protective emblem.
The conference issued Amman Declaration 2024: A unified call for future-ready humanitarian action in the MENA region, which contained a number of important recommendations for the humanitarian action program, addressing the commitment to coordinate humanitarian action, and strengthening the capacities and capabilities of RC/RC national societies in an unprecedented changing environment, with a focus on empowering youth and volunteers as central elements of resilience and preparedness, leading to more effective humanitarian responses across the MENA region, while stimulating efforts to ensure the response to become financially sustainable and able to meet future challenges.
Meetings:
The ICIC delegation held a number of bilateral meetings with delegations from the IFRC, the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization, and the Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies in : Palestine, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon, and topics of bilateral relations and topics of common interest were discussed.
