Beijing Xiangshan Forum: Upholding humanity amid evolving risks and challenges
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honour to be with you today. Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, CIISS and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army for the invitation to speak at this esteemed event on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Through 13 iterations, this Forum has provided a platform for global dialogue on peace and security. As armed conflicts proliferate and security challenges grow more complex, the Forum provides a valuable space to examine emerging security challenges and consider avenues for greater stability.
The title of this session, “Risks and Challenges to Security and Stability in the Asia-Pacific” underscores the critical importance of addressing pressing issues in this dynamic region.
The ICRC’s mandate is to defend the legal protections enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and we seek to contribute a neutral and humanitarian perspective to this essential, yet complex discussion.
Our approach is informed by both the broader considerations of peace and security and international humanitarian law, which governs the conduct of parties to armed conflict and seeks to mitigate the human cost of war.
Distinguished participants,
Today, I want to share a message of great concern about the world we live in and the risks for our shared humanity.
We are alarmed by the unprecedented proliferation of armed conflicts worldwide and the growing normalisation and ease of waging wars.
We are alarmed by the risks of new technologies employed in war and the impact they have on civilians.
We are alarmed by the increasing lack of respect and neglect of the rules of war.
Armed conflicts are becoming more numerous, more complex and increasingly interconnected. Many involve coalitions, fragmented armed groups and large civilian populations living under the control of non-state armed actors. At the same time, rising interstate tensions, shifting alliances and rapid technological changes are increasing the risk of high-intensity warfare with severe humanitarian consequences.
Across conflicts in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere, civilians continue to bear an immense human cost. This suffering must not be treated as an unavoidable feature of war. Much of it reflects a failure to comply with international humanitarian law.
Through its operations worldwide, the ICRC sees every day the consequences of armed conflict for individuals, families and communities.
Every day, we witness the unbearable toll of human suffering which could have been avoided, if the rules of war were respected by those who fight.
From targeting hospitals, schools and civilian infrastructure to forcibly displacing civilians, shattering lives, separating loved ones - such human cost of wars must never be normalised or accepted, no matter what the military gains could be.
Distinguished participants,
States around the world are increasing military expenditure, modernizing their armed forces and investing in new capabilities. Asia-Pacific military spending reflects a global upward trend and is already at record highs.
Against this backdrop, the ICRC encourages states to de-escalate and to reject the notion of inevitable and unending wars.
It is our duty to remind states that preparing for wars must include establishing systems to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law from the very outset of hostilities. This necessitates integrating IHL compliance into peacetime planning to ensure that the necessary mechanisms are fully operational when hostilities begin.
At the military level, this includes integrating the core IHL principles into the operational practice of armed forces, through doctrine, training, operations orders and rules of engagement.
Systems for recording detainees and accounting for the wounded, sick and dead cannot be improvised once hostilities begin. National Information Bureaus and related information-management mechanisms require preparation in peacetime. If they are not in place, people risk going missing or remaining unaccounted for.
States must also ensure that national health systems are prepared for the pressures of armed conflict. They must be able to receive large numbers of war casualties and still provide essential care to the wider population.
Adequate mortuary and forensic capacities are equally essential to ensure that the dead are properly identified, recorded and treated with dignity.
Military preparedness must go hand in hand with being ready to respond to the humanitarian consequences of conflict. This requires investment in IHL before hostilities begin, including through discussions such as those taking place at this Forum.
Distinguished participants,
In a world that is already digitalized and interconnected, our lives are even more shaped by artificial intelligence.
Further advancements in science and technology promise a wide range of benefits in the social, economic, development and humanitarian spheres.
These advancements include saving and improving life in armed conflicts, delivering goods and essential services, such as medical care, to affected populations, helping communities access critical, life-saving information and restoring family links during times of conflict.
However, alongside these benefits come significant risks for people living through war and for humanitarian organizations striving to assist them.
The growing availability of low-cost drones is changing the way hostilities are conducted. Their use is now widespread, stretching and blurring the frontline over vast distances. As with any weapon, their use must comply fully with IHL.
As weapon systems become increasingly autonomous, the need to preserve human judgement and control over the use of force becomes more pressing.
Just last month, the ICRC president and the United Nations Secretary-General renewed their joint call for States to urgently establish international rules on autonomous weapon systems. With the risks having intensified and the race towards greater autonomy in weapon systems already well underway, they warned that we are dangerously close to crossing a moral red line: the autonomous targeting of humans by machines.
A legally binding instrument is therefore needed to establish clear prohibitions and restrictions and to uphold accountability in the use of force.
Distinguished participants,
IHL does not seek to eliminate the reality of armed conflict. It sets limits on how war is fought, preserving essential protection for the wounded, civilians and detainees even in the most difficult circumstances.
That distinction matters. It recognizes the reality of armed conflict while insisting that even in war, humanity must endure.
Protecting hospitals, shielding civilians from hostilities, allowing lifesaving aid to reach those in need and treating detainees with dignity are fundamental requirements of international humanitarian law.
At a time when the number of armed conflicts is growing and violations of international humanitarian law are widespread, the need for stronger political commitment to the rules of war has never been more urgent.
In September 2024, China – our host today – Brazil, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, together with the ICRC, launched an initiative to galvanize political commitment to the rules of war. Since then, more than 118 states have joined this exceptional effort.
The Global Initiative was launched in response to mounting concern over respect for IHL and the consequences of its erosion. It seeks to turn political commitment into concrete action and to reinforce respect for the rules of war over the longer term.
The Initiative will culminate in a historic high-level conference of state leaders hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 7 December. The Humanity in War conference will re-affirm the states’ commitment to the principles and rules of IHL. We encourage all members of the Global IHL Initiative to be present at the highest possible level.
Respect for IHL not only mitigates the impact of conflict but also creates conditions that facilitate engagement between warring parties, support dialogue and lay the ground for eventual negotiated pathways to sustainable peace.
IHL serves as a vital trust-building tool in mediation as it can open channels of communication that may be leveraged towards political dialogue and peace negotiations.
Respect for IHL during conflict helps consolidate fragile ceasefires into peace agreements, reduce risks of renewed conflict, and ensure protection for affected populations.
Distinguished participants,
International humanitarian law is well established. Its benefits are widely known. What is needed now is the political and military will to implement it. The cost of inaction is far too high.
We call on each of you to champion the application of these laws. Together we must act now to ensure that lives are protected, suffering is minimized and the foundations for lasting peace are upheld.
Thank you.
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