Speaker Farrugia yesterday participated in an event held during the 151st Assembly of the IPU on protecting humanity in times of war. In his intervention as Chair of the IHL Committee, Speaker Farrugia thanked the effort and the delicate role of the Red Cross in conflicts around the world, particularly their role in the return of refugees during the war in Gaza.
Speaker Farrugia remarked to parliamentarians that respect for international humanitarian law is mostly needed in times of war. Parliamentarians have an important role to make sure that such rules are observed in their respective states, as these have been ratified by their respective parliaments. Speaker Farrugia concluded by stating that his only agenda is to reduce the suffering of the vulnerable. He stated that the world has seen enough suffering and encouraged parliamentarians to step up and make sure that their respective parliaments respect these important laws.
Earlier today, Speaker Farrugia chaired an open session on safeguarding humanitarian action in times of conflict. Quoting the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Speaker Farrugia stated that over 300 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance around the world in 2025. He emphasised that, unfortunately, the situation of humanitarian action today is a very challenging one, especially during armed conflict. According to OCHA, in 2024, a record 383 aid workers were killed, while an additional 308 were wounded, 125 were kidnapped and 45 were detained. Speaker Farrugia stressed that these figures are alarming and therefore parliamentarians can and should contribute significantly to ensure the protection and safeguarding of humanitarian action in their respective countries and beyond.
Later, Speaker Farrugia, presided over the Committee on the promotion of International Humanitarian Law. During the meeting he was re-elected to chair the Committee on the Promotion of International Humanitarian Law of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) until October 2026. The Committee was briefed on recent developments involving International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and refugee protection issues in countries it has been monitoring over the past few years, as well as in those requiring attention due to pressing humanitarian concerns.
The President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hon. Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge, gave an update about the dire situation of refugees and internally displaced persons in his country, including the recent peace agreement with Rwanda. The Committee was provided with a briefing from UNHCR on recent developments on statelessness, with a particular focus on child statelessness. The Committee also discussed the findings of the 2024 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) report IHL and the Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts.
At this session, the Committee also discussed issues related to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and how it could strengthen its engagement in promoting the Convention's universalization. A briefing was provided by the ICRC and the Implementation Support Unit of the CCM. The Committee considered the activities it carried out since its last session in April 2025 and discussed its workplan for the remaining months of 2025 and for 2026.