ICRC President: We must return to Conventions; peace is responsibility of all
After meeting Pope Leo XIV, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric called for stronger protection of civilians and renewed respect for international humanitarian law. She hopes a December conference in Jordan, with 122 countries so far intending to participate, will reaffirm the Geneva Conventions and other rules protecting human dignity. The ICRC counts more than 130 conflicts worldwide, its highest total since World War II, while respect for rules protecting civilians is eroding. Spoljaric warned that dehumanizing language can precede atrocities and raised concerns about autonomous weapon systems.
about 6 hours ago
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), says states must renew their commitment to international humanitarian law as conflicts multiply and protections for civilians weaken. After meeting Pope Leo XIV, she called for collective action to de-escalate wars, safeguard human dignity and set limits on autonomous weapons.
Spoljaric said an international conference planned for December 7 in Jordan will bring leaders together to reaffirm the principles of international humanitarian law. The event is intended to be a global initiative rather than a forum for singling out particular countries; 122 countries had expressed an intention to participate, with more joining.
She described the need for renewed commitment as urgent: the ICRC classifies more than 130 conflicts worldwide, the highest number since the Second World War and twice the total 15 years ago. Spoljaric said conflicts increasingly overlap and are harder to disentangle.
Although every country has ratified the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Spoljaric said respect for rules protecting civilians and other non-combatants has eroded. She also warned that dehumanizing language and reduced restraint in military conduct can precede severe crimes and atrocities.
Spoljaric voiced concern about combining inexpensive drones with artificial intelligence, which she said remains unregulated. Without safeguards, she warned, such technologies could produce weapons that are difficult to control and indiscriminate in their targeting.
The ICRC president said human control and accountability must remain central to decisions about life and death in armed conflict. Alongside the UN secretary-general, she has called for a legal framework banning certain weapons, particularly fully autonomous systems, and hopes states will begin negotiations at a Geneva conference on conventional weapons scheduled for mid-November.
Spoljaric welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s calls for peace and dialogue, saying the ICRC and the Church share concern for civilians affected by war. She urged states to prioritize de-escalation and said responsibility for peace extends beyond countries directly involved in fighting, given conflicts’ cross-border connections and the interdependence of states.
She said humanitarian measures can help build confidence needed for ceasefire agreements. Examples include the return of civilians, safe passage, delivery of aid and large-scale exchanges of prisoners of war; she said the Geneva Conventions provide a framework for such actions.
Human dignity grounds the moral limits of armed conflict
Human dignity sets moral limits on armed conflict because every person—civilian or combatant, ally or enemy—remains a human being whose life and worth cannot be reduced to military advantage. The Church therefore recognizes a right and duty to defend people against grave aggression, but insists that the means of defense must respect ethical limits and the common good.
These limits include protecting civilians, observing international humanitarian law, and using force proportionately. Civilians are not merely “collateral damage”: they are persons with names, families, and futures, and their suffering must be taken seriously in decisions about military action. The same concern applies to the lasting effects of weapons and conflict, including displacement, environmental destruction, and harm that continues after fighting ends.
This does not make every use of force morally equivalent or deny legitimate self-defense. It means that defense cannot justify unlimited violence: human dignity requires restraint, protection of the innocent, and serious efforts to prevent and end war. The Church also warns that war is a grave defeat for humanity, and that invoking God or religion to justify violence contradicts respect for human dignity.