Switzerland has canceled a scheduled diplomatic meeting intended to address the protection of civilians in Palestinian territories, citing significant disagreements among participating countries. Originally planned for Friday in Geneva, this meeting would have been the fourth such conference and the first since 2014. As the host nation of the Geneva Conventions, which safeguard civilians during armed conflicts, Switzerland was tasked with organizing the conference.
The meeting was announced in the fall, with Switzerland extending invitations to 196 states that are parties to the Geneva Conventions. The conference’s primary aim was to discuss strategies for implementing the conventions in the occupied Palestinian territories. However, the Swiss Foreign Ministry revealed that feedback on a proposed final declaration, shared last week, faced differing viewpoints among the participants.
Though these conferences do not result in binding decisions, they serve to reinforce a collective commitment to international law among the countries involved. The inability to reach a consensus on the declaration led to the cancellation of the meeting, highlighting the challenges faced in garnering a unified stance on the matter.
