Strengthening Partnership on International Humanitarian Law

Depok, Indonesia — Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) solidified a significant partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, October 10, 2024. The ceremony took place in the Theater Room, Faculty A, at the UIII campus and was attended by key representatives from both institutions.

The MoU signing was performed by UIII Rector Prof. Jamhari, and Mr. Vincent Raymond Ochilet, Head of the ICRC Regional Delegation for Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Witnessing the ceremony were ICRC Regional Deputy Head Johan Guillaume and UIII Lecturer and Law Expert Zezen Zaenal Muttaqin, S.J.D. 

The MoU aims to promote collaboration in the fields of education, research, and dialogue on the intersection of International Humanitarian Law and Islamic Law. The MoU marks a historic alignment between the two institutions, combining UIII’s commitment to strategic Islamic studies with the ICRC’s international mandate to provide humanitarian aid and protection. 

"This partnership signifies UIII's dedication to pioneering in strategic Islamic studies and contributing to the international humanitarian community,” said Prof. Jamhari. "With the ICRC's guidance, we aim to advance meaningful dialogue between Islamic and humanitarian principles to serve as a model for educational collaboration.” 

At the core of this collaboration is a shared vision to improve human resource development through training, research, and various community-oriented initiatives. Both UIII and the ICRC are committed to sharing information, conducting joint studies, and expanding their areas of cooperation as mutually agreed. 

“The expectation [from this partnership] is that the content of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Islamic law will be well-known and well-understood, allowing people to make meaningful comparisons,” Mr. Vincent Raymond Ochilet of ICRC remarked. “With this understanding, we can see that both legal frameworks emphasize similar protections, the safeguarding of human beings, the rights of women and children, and the protection of non-combatants in times of conflict.”

The ICRC is an international organization mandated as a neutral, independent, humanitarian institution tasked with protecting and assisting victims of armed conflict, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 

Through the partnership with ICRC, UIII reinforces its dedication to humanitarian protection and the principles of International Humanitarian Law. By integrating the law into its academic and research initiatives, UIII aims to provide a framework for understanding and upholding the rights and protections of all people affected by conflict, particularly women, children, and other vulnerable groups. 

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