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Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the ICRC: The rules of war are being ignored

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the ICRC: The rules of war are being ignored

The Interview vor 1 Monat

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the ICRC on what happens when rules of war are ignored

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‘I compare the erosion of international humanitarian law with
bankruptcy it happens gradually at first and then all of a sudden
instantly. This is what is happening with the Geneva Conventions
at the moment. You look away, you look away, you look away, you
increase your tolerance level until all of a sudden you realize
we've crossed the line. We've crossed the red line, and we've
done so collectively, because these things are happening under
international watch.’ Imogen Foulkes meets Mirjana Spoljaric, the
first woman to lead the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The ICRC is 163 years old. It works in war zones around the
world, with one central mission: to uphold the Geneva
Conventions, the rules designed to preserve some humanity, even
in war.

All 196 states have ratified the conventions, They established
fundamental protections: civilians should not be targeted;
hospitals and health workers must be protected and humanitarian
aid must be allowed to reach those who need it.

But in practice, Mirjana Spoljaric says, those rules are
increasingly being flouted. She talks about the growing lack of
accessing war zones, the ICRC being denied visits to prisoners of
war, and what happens when even the most basic rules of war are
ignored.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our
world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC,
including episodes with the head of the World Meteorological
Organisation, Celeste Saulo, the former Australian Prime
Minister, Julia Gillard and the author Maggie O’Farrell. You can
listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a
podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get
your podcasts.

Presenter: Imogen Foulkes Producer: Farhana Haider Editor:
Justine Lang

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the
hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Mirjana Spoljaric. Credit: Joel Saget/Getty)