Switzerland has canceled a conference on the application of the Geneva Conventions to the occupied Palestinian territories due to insufficient participants, confirmed the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday. The country had invited 196 parties to the conventions for a March 7 conference in Geneva discussing civilians in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem but notified them that the meeting was called off.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Nicolas Bideau, explained that Switzerland, as the depositary State, decided not to hold the meeting due to a lack of consensus among the High Contracting Parties.
The conference aimed to discuss the Fourth Geneva Convention, an international treaty established in 1949 post-World War Two, outlining humanitarian protections for civilians in conflict zones or under occupation.
The cancellation was seen as a setback for Switzerland, known for its conflict mediation efforts and hosting peace talks.
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva expressed disappointment, stating that their delegation didn't plan to attend due to dissatisfaction with the draft declaration circulated among participants. He emphasized the need for concrete international measures, including potential economic or diplomatic actions against Israel, to ensure the implementation of the Geneva Conventions.
Some states, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation members, also chose to skip the event as the circulated document was deemed inadequate in addressing the severity of the situation.
Israel, criticized for its actions against Hamas in Gaza and settlement expansions in the West Bank, had not commented on the issue but labeled the Swiss conference as part of the legal warfare against the country.
Britain and other states expressed reluctance to attend due to concerns regarding a proposed declaration, with some European countries still planning to participate despite reservations.