Intersos and ICVA have led the working group on Principled Humanitarian Assistance. The C7 summit will be held in Rome on 14 and 15 May.
On the occasion of the Italian G7 Presidency in 2024, the Italian Civil Society Coalition is taking the lead in coordinating and moderating the C7 2024 process. The Civil 7 (C7) is one of the official engagement groups of the G7 gathering the voices of more than 700 organizations from around 70 countries to bring forth proposals and demands aimed at protecting the environment and promoting social and economic development and well-being for all, ensuring healthy lives, gender equality, human rights and the principle of leaving no one behind, to stimulate a constructive dialogue with the G7.
Since January 2024, seven Working Groups have been set up. INTERSOS, together with ICVA, has co-led the Working Group on Principled Humanitarian Assistance, raising awareness on critical humanitarian issues and prioritising the concerns and demands of civil society organisations (CSOs) in dialogues with the G7. More specifically, the Working Group has focused on the erosion of humanitarian principles, humanity in particular, and the challenges CSOs face in delivering effective assistance, emphasising the distortion of humanitarian concerns by political interests and the disregard for international norms, agreements, and laws, such as International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and its implications for humanitarian principles and the people affected by crises.
Miro Modrusan, Geneva Representative and Policy Advisor at INTERSOS and Coordinator of the C7 Working Group, says: “G7 must recognize today’s increasing attacks on IHL and humanitarian principles, that must be free from geopolitical interests. As signatories to Geneva conventions, G7 States must reaffirm their commitment to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian principles, and promote humanity as the central value that must be protected in all conflicts.”
Jeremy Wellard, Head of Coordination at ICVA and Coordinator of the C7 Working Group, further underlines as Civil Society, we must continue to demand G7 members, and all States, uphold their responsibilities and enable us to fulfil the humanitarian imperative to prevent or alleviate suffering wherever needed.
In view of the C7 Summit, which will take place on 14th and 15th of May 2024 in Rome, a final Communiqué containing the proposals drawn up by the Working Groups on the various areas has been drafted and published. The Communiquè calls upon the G7 members to take clear responsibility at the domestic and international levels and be proactive and ready to find compromise and preserve dialogue despite strategic differences, highlighting main areas of common action. Regarding the Working Group on Principled Humanitarian Assistance, the final communiqué presents 14 recommendations for G7 states covering different topics such as the erosion of humanitarian principles, protection of civilians, humanitarian access, funding shortages, and issues around diversity and inclusion.