Equipo Nizkor - Slovakia: Statute of the Committee on International Humanitarian Law.

Article 1
Introductory provision

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic establishes Committee on International Humanitarian Law (hereinafter the "Committee") as his permanent inter-ministerial advisory body.

Article 2
Scope of Committee's activities

The role of the Committee shall be in particular :

a) analysing the implementation of the international humanitarian law in the legal order of the Slovak Republic in a comprehensive way;

b) analysing the application of the international humanitarian law by courts and administrative authorities of the Slovak Republic in a comprehensive way;

c) to give competent authorities of the Slovak Republic recommendations concerning legislative and other measures based on the results of the analysis of international humanitarian law implementation and application in order to ensure full implementation of Slovak Republic's international humanitarian law commitments into the legal order of the Slovak Republic;

d) in case of necessity to establish ad hoc working groups for reviewing selected problems concerning international humanitarian, law and to make relevant recommendations based on their conclusions;

e) to propose to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic submitting proposals to conclude other international humanitarian law treaties to the competent authorities and/or the Government of the Slovak Republic;

f) supporting dissemination of information on the objectives and principles of international humanitarian law in the educational process at schools, Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic and the Police Foree of the Slovak Republic and to enforce general respect for international humanitarian law;

g) co-operating with national commissions for the international humanitarian law in other countries and international organisations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Slovak Red Cross.

Article 3
Composition of the Committee

(1) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic shall appoint following Members of the Committee:

a) a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic;

b) a representative of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic upon a proposal by the Minister of Defence;

c) a representative of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic upon proposal by the Minister of Justice;

d) a representative of the Ministry of the interior of the Slovak Republic upon proposal by the Minister of the Interior,

e) a representative of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic upon proposal by the Minister of Health;

f) a representative of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic upon proposal by the Minister of Education;

g) a representative of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic upon proposal by the Minister of Culture;

h) a representative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Legislation upon the proposal by Deputy Prime Minister for Legislation;

i) a representative of the Slovak Red Cross (Secretary of the Cornmittee) upon the proposal by the President of the Slovak Red Cross;

j) a representative of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic upon the proposal by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic,

k) a representative of the Office of the Ombudsman upon the proposal by the Ombudsman.

(2) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic can appoint independent experts or members of non-governmental human rights organisations other Members of the Committee.

(3) The Committee shall comprise not more than 15 Members.

Article 4
Chairman of the Committee and Deputy

(1) A committee composed of Committee Members appointed under Article 3 letters a) - h) shall elect and remove Chairman of the Committee and his/her Deputy. The term of the office of the Chairman of the Committee and the Deputy is two years. The Chairman of the Committee and the Deputy may be elected repeatedly.

(2) The Chairman of the Committee:

a) shall convene regular meetings of the Committee and extraordinary meetings of the Committee under Article 6 para. 3

b) shall chair Committee's meetings

c) shall propose the agenda of the meeting of the Committee to the Committee

d) shall represent the Committee vis-a-vis public administration authorities, other organisations and institutions and international organisations and other national commissions for international humanitarian law.

(3) The Deputy or the Secretary of the Committee shall substitute the Chairman of the Committee during his/her absence.

(4) The Committee may remove the Chairman of the Committee or his/her Deputy on serious grounds before the lapse of their official term.

(5) The Chairman of the Committee and his/her Deputy may resign from their office.

Article 5
The Secretariat and the Secretary

(1) The Secretariat of the Slovak Red Cross shall act as the Secretariat of the Committee. The Secretariat shall provide organisational and technical support to the meetings of the Committee.

(2) The Secretary General of the Slovak Red Cross shall be the Secretary of the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee shall perform tasks linked with professional, organisational and technical support of the activities of the Committee.

Article 6
Meetings of the Committee

(1) The Committee shall meet regularly four times a year. The Chairman of the Committee shall convene the meetings of the Committee.

(2) The Members of the Committee shall be informed about the venue, time and agenda of the meeting of the Committee at least 10 days before the date of the meeting of the Committee.

(3) When the circumstances make it necessary the Chairman of the Committee may convene an extraordinary meeting upon own initiative or upon a proposal by five Members of the Committee at least.

Article 7
Committee's decision-making rules

The Committee shall have a quorum constituted when a majority of all its Members is present at the meeting. The Cornmittee shall take decisions by a simple majority of the Members present at the meeting.

Article 8
Committee's Activity Report

The Committee shall submit its Activity Report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic at least once a year and/or upon request.

Article 9

The Chairman of the Committee may invite other experts from the field of the international humanitarian law, e.g. the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross or representatives of other organisations working with international humanitarian law to a meeting of the Committee.

Article 10
Honorary membership

Membership on the Committee is an honorary function without any entitlement to a reward. Members of the Committee shall have no entitlement to claim reimbursement from the Committee of their travel and accommodation costs incurred during the meeting of the Committee.

Article 11
Final provisions

(1) This Committee shall be established for an unlimited period of time. If a new Minister of Foreign Affairs does not confirm the existence of the Committee within one month from his/her appointment after the end of the term of the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs the Committee shall be dissolved automatically.

(2) This Statute shall come into effect on 1 January 2002.

Done at Bratislava on 20 September 2001

Eduard Kukan
Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Slovak Republic

20Sep01 - SVK

Statute of the Committee on International Humanitarian Law

-Slovak Republic-

[Source: International Committe of the Red Cross.]

Legislation
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