International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission


The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission is an international body that is available to perform investigations of possible breaches of international humanitarian law. The Commission may investigate matters to determine what has happened, but does not pass judgment on issues it raises. In its report on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the agency, IHFFC noted that its services have not yet been exercised.
IHFFC was established in 1991 and has its basis in the First Optional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, agreed in 1977. The Commission consists of fifteen experts. The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs carries out the secretariat functions. IHFFC is headquartered in Bern. 71 states have joined the body.
The organization has the status of a permanent observer in the UN General Assembly.
On 7 October 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières called for activating the Commission, for the first time since its creation, to investigate the deadly U.S. bombing of MSF's hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. MSF says it does not trust internal military inquiries into the bombing that killed at least 22 people, which it considers a war crime.

Members of the Commission

as per 20 February 2017
NamePositionCountryMember since
Prof. Thilo MARAUHNPresidentGermany2012
Dr. Elzbieta MIKOS-SKUZAFirst Vice-PresidentPoland2001
Dr. Mohamed Mahmoud AL KAMALIVice-PresidentUnited Arab Emirates2012
Ambassador Alfredo LABBÉVice-PresidentChile2017
Dr Robin McNEILL LOVEVice-PresidentUnited Kingdom2017
Mr Abdulla Rashid S.A. AL-NAIMIMemberQatar2017
Prof. Rachid BELHADJMemberAlgeria2017
Ms Laurence BOILLATMemberSwitzerland2017
Prof. Shuichi FURUYAMemberJapan2012
Dr. Åsa MOLDEMemberSweden2017
Mr Mario J.A. OYARZÁBALMemberArgentina2017
Mr Francisco REY MARCOSMemberSpain2017
Prof. Stelios E. PERRAKISMemberGreece2001
Dr. Réka VARGAMemberHungary2017
Dr. Justinas ŽILINSKASMemberLithuania2012