Committee of Geneva Call meets YPG/YPJ

Committee of Geneva Call meets YPG/YPJ

A committee of the humanitarian organization Geneva Call met YPG (People Defense Units) and YPJ (Women’s Defense Units) executives in Dêrik in West Kurdistan on Saturday.

According to the statement of YPG Press Office, the delegation was made up of Ann-Kristin ‘Anki’ Sjöberg, Senior Programme Officer in charge of Latin America and Kurdistan, and Mehmet Balcı, Programme Director in charge of Middle East and Latin America.

The delegation reached Rojava by crossing the Sêmalka border gate between South and West Kurdistan.

The meeting at Martyr Şilan Kobanê Academy was attended by YPG press secretary Redur Xelil, YPJ commander Nujin Derik and Fidan Qamişlo.

YPG and YPJ informed the delegation about their works and goals and submitted the regulation of defense units to the committee which in return submitted YPG/YPJ executives the legislation of the Geneva Call organization.

The meeting witnessed exchange of opinions about the developments in the Middle East, violations of human rights and steps needed to be taken in the current state of affairs. YPG/YPJ executives have reportedly submitted to the delegation some documents exposing violations of rights committed by armed gang groups.

YPG Press Office said that the sides attending the meeting agreed on "carrying out a joint work, cleaning mines and protecting women and children", adding that the meeting will be followed by others in the coming term.

The sides are expected to sign a protocol on the points agreed during the meeting.

Geneva Call is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization aunched in March 2000 and dedicated to engaging armed non-State actors (NSAs) towards compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL). The organization focuses on NSAs that operate outside effective State control and are primarily motivated by political goals.

Geneva Call engages NSAs in a dialogue aimed at persuading them to change their behaviour and respect specific IHL and IHRL standards. The Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action is an internationally recognized mechanism through which 43 NSAs have already adhered to a total ban on the use of AP mines and to cooperate in humanitarian mine action activities. Geneva Call plays an important role in monitoring and supporting the implementation of these commitments. The organization is now expanding its advocacy work with NSAs to the protection of women and children in situations of armed conflict.