Kazakhstan Urges Global Commitment to International Humanitarian Law

The leaders of Kazakhstan, Brazil, Jordan, China, France, and South Africa, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have issued a joint statement urging the international community to take decisive action to uphold humanitarian principles in armed conflicts.

According to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement was released on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and highlights growing alarm over the widespread violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and the severe human suffering caused by modern warfare, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The heads of state called on all countries and parties to armed conflict to comply fully with IHL, emphasizing the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, healthcare personnel, and humanitarian workers as a fundamental obligation.

As part of their commitment, the leaders announced the organization of a high-level global meeting in 2026, which will be dedicated to preserving humanity in times of war. The event aims to reinforce global consensus on the importance of international humanitarian norms and develop practical steps to improve compliance.

The statement builds on the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment for IHL, which was launched on September 27, 2024, during a ministerial-level meeting held in New York. The initiative was spearheaded by the foreign ministers of the six initiating countries, alongside the ICRC, and seeks to strengthen adherence to humanitarian law through concrete recommendations and inclusive dialogue.

To date, 89 countries have officially joined the initiative, while over 130 states have engaged in consultations spanning seven thematic areas relevant to modern armed conflict and humanitarian response.

The joint statement has been made available in all six official UN languages, in addition to Kazakh and Portuguese.

Meanwhile, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is currently on a working visit to New York. His official agenda began with a meeting with the CEO of Canadian energy company Cameco, focused on deepening cooperation in the uranium sector. He later met with Jared Cohen, President of Global Affairs at Goldman Sachs Global Institute, and Amit Sevak, President and CEO of Educational Testing Service (ETS), to discuss investment, innovation, and education reform initiatives.