Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Mackellar on his motion to mark the 70th anniversary of the Geneva conventions. It would be remiss of me, whilst standing in this place and speaking on this motion, not to first acknowledge our servicemen and women, both at home and abroad, those active or retired, and those who have come before us, and to thank them for their service to our nation. I acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy today are not without sacrifice.

The position of this building in which we stand is not an accident. The Australian War Memorial and Parliament House have been purposely geographically aligned with each other. The clear line of sight between these two buildings helps those of us deliberating in this House understand that we should never forget the decisions we make in this place have real, tangible and sometimes terrible consequences.

On the 70th anniversary of the fourth Geneva convention, Australia can be proud of its humanitarian record during times of conflict. We continue to uphold the protocols with continued advocacy to champion protections for medical personnel, civilians, chaplains and humanitarian aid workers who can be inadvertently and devastating collateral damage in a conflict zone.

Australia not only upholds the conventions in its own affairs but seeks to advocate for the importance of holding these protocols on the global stage. The Geneva conventions form some of the most important sets of protections outlining the conduct of war in human history. In 1863, businessman Henri Dunant, who was shocked by the atrocities he witnessed in the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in Italy, saw the need for a non-partisan international relief agency that would provide support to those caught up and affected by military conflict. His work resulted in the formation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which today continues to flourish and is one of the most recognisable and trusted organisations in the world, with its principles such as humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The formation of the Geneva conventions was significant, and remains significant, as it represents a high point in multilateralism following the devastating effects of World War II. Prior to the Geneva conventions there were no guidelines for warfare and no expectations for how states, monarchies, their armies or rogue groups should operate or conduct themselves during times of war. Prior to the Geneva conventions there were no consequences for perpetrators of the atrocities witnessed during wartime. Accordingly, these rules of war provided a true global pledge to protect the sanctity of human life and dignity in war by reducing suffering, saving countless lives during armed conflict.

Today, on the 70th anniversary of the fourth Geneva convention, we can reflect on the continued relevance of the protocols for conflict. Almost universally ratified—by 196 states—these rules find particular relevance in the wake of the changing landscape and notions of modern warfare. Wars today are increasingly fought internally between the armed forces of national governments and non-state armed groups. These groups are often radicalised and loosely structured, rendering the resulting conflicts more complex, protracted and widespread than ever before. At a time when our international community is struggling to meet the changing needs arising from emergencies around the world, the need for international obligations which enshrine basic principles of humanity is especially important.

Drawing upon the norms and translating the protocols of the Geneva conventions into action presents both a challenge and an opportunity as we embark on the next stages of crafting appropriate standards of humanitarian treatment in times of war. How will our international commitments change as we move towards the challenges presented by emerging technological, biological and cyber types of warfare? How can we adequately take into account the different risks arising from these different types of warfare? In the preamble to the 1949 Geneva convention, contracting parties committed to the earnest wish to see peace prevail among people.

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