القاعدة ذات الصلة
Spain
Practice Relating to Rule 143. Dissemination of International Humanitarian Law among the Civilian Population
Spain’s LOAC Manual (1996) provides: “The instruction and dissemination of [IHL] are established as obligatory, so that the State has the duty to introduce it in its programmes of … civil instruction.”
Spain, Orientaciones. El Derecho de los Conflictos Armados, Publicación OR7-004, 2 Tomos, aprobado por el Estado Mayor del Ejército, Division de Operaciones, 18 March 1996, Vol. I, § 10.1.a; see also §§ 1.1.d.(7) and 11.3.b.(2) (which add that the instruction must take place in time of peace as well as in time of war).
The manual identifies the sectors of the public that should be targeted in priority: National Societies, universities, schools, medical circles, communication media, and the general public, particularly young people and teachers.
Spain, Orientaciones. El Derecho de los Conflictos Armados, Publicación OR7-004, 2 Tomos, aprobado por el Estado Mayor del Ejército, Division de Operaciones, 18 March 1996, Vol. I, § 10.2.b.(3).
Spain’s LOAC Manual (2007) states: “In both peacetime and wartime, States [must] … encourage the study of [the law of armed conflict] among the civilian population.”
Spain, Orientaciones. El Derecho de los Conflictos Armados, Tomo 1, Publicación OR7–004, (Edición Segunda), Mando de Adiestramiento y Doctrina, Dirección de Doctrina, Orgánica y Materiales, 2 November 2007, § 1.1.d.(7).
The manual further states: “The law of armed conflict contains provisions making the teaching and dissemination of its rules compulsory. Consequently, States are under an obligation to incorporate them in their programmes of … civil instruction.”
Spain, Orientaciones. El Derecho de los Conflictos Armados, Tomo 1, Publicación OR7–004, (Edición Segunda), Mando de Adiestramiento y Doctrina, Dirección de Doctrina, Orgánica y Materiales, 2 November 2007, § 10.1; see also § 11.3.b.(2).
Spain’s Royal Decree Establishing the Spanish IHL Commission (2007) states that this Commission is to “[p]rovide advice on the dissemination of … international humanitarian law … to … police forces, public officials, humanitarian organizations, legal and medical professionals, universities and educational centres, media and society in general.”
Spain, Royal Decree Establishing the Spanish IHL Commission, 2007, Article 2(1)(e).
In 2008, in its written replies to the Human Rights Committee concerning its fifth periodic report, Spain stated with regard to the training given to law enforcement civil servants that “numerous courses are offered at the levels of lifelong learning, refresher training, further training and continuous training, including … [a] [c]ourse on international humanitarian law”.
Spain, Written replies by the Government of Spain to the Human Rights Committee concerning the list of issues raised in connection with the fifth periodic report of Spain, 14 October 2008, UN Doc. CCPR/C/ESP/Q/5/Add.1, Question 9, p. 23.
In 2010, in its report to the UN General Assembly on the status of the 1977 Additional Protocols, Spain stated:
Higher studies in national defence cover such areas as peace, security, defence and military policy, and are designed not only for professionals in the armed forces but also those in public administration and members of society in general.
Every year the following courses are offered (as part of either advanced military training or higher studies in national defence) and incorporate aspects of the [1949] Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols:
…
- Law of armed conflict
- General staff
- Observers for peacekeeping operations
- Peacekeeping operations
…
- Civil and military cooperation
…
- Civil and military cooperation for reservists.
Spain, Report on the Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflict, 5 May 2010, Section 1.2.
