Deeds of Commitment

Of all the commitment tools that Geneva Call uses to ensure that armed groups and de facto authorities respect international humanitarian norms and their obligations under the Geneva Conventions, the Deed of Commitment (DoC) is the main and strongest one.

What are the Deeds of Commitment?

Launched in 2000, the Deed of Commitment is an innovative mechanism for armed groups and de facto authorities (AGDAs) through which they pledge to respect specific humanitarian norms stemming from International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL), and to be held publicly accountable for their commitments.

Our experience has shown that AGDAs may not always even be aware of their obligations under IHL.

Through the Deed of Commitment process, AGDAs can formally express their pledge to abide by humanitarian norms and take ownership of these rules, a process from which they are generally precluded as formal adherence to international laws and conventions is typically limited to States.

The Deeds of Commitment are developed by Geneva Call on specific humanitarian thematics and in consultation with a wide array of humanitarian and legal experts.

To date, Geneva Call has developed five Deeds of Commitment:

  1. Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action, launched in 2000;
  2. Deed of Commitment for the Protection of Children from the Effects of Armed Conflict, launched in 2010;
  3. Deed of Commitment for the Prohibition of Sexual Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict and towards the Elimination of Gender Discrimination, launched in 2012;
  4. Deed of Commitment for the Protection of Health Care in Armed Conflict, launched in 2018;
  5. Deed of Commitment for the Prevention of Starvation and Conflict-Related Food Insecurity, launched in 2021.

Who signs the Deeds of Commitment?

The Deeds of Commitment are signed by the AGDA’s political and military leadership and countersigned by Geneva Call as the witness and implementation partner.

The Deeds are also signed by the Government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, who receives a copy and acts as a custodian of such Deeds of Commitment.

The signature of a Deed of Commitment takes place during a ceremony in the Alabama Room in Geneva’s City Hall, where the first Geneva Convention was adopted in 1864. With their signature, AGDAs commit to take the necessary measures to implement and enforce their commitment and to allow and cooperate in the verification of their compliance by Geneva Call.

What is the legal value of the Deeds of Commitment

The Deeds of Commitment are de jure Unilateral Declarations of the armed group and de facto authority that commits to respect the norms contained in the document.

The signature of the Deeds of Commitment does not change in any way the legal status of the armed group and de facto authority, nor does it legitimize it and does not represent an agreement between the signatories.

Once formally signed, the Deeds of Commitment are kept in the archives of the Republic and Canton of Geneva who acts as custodian of such acts. No legal obligation is created for the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

When and how is the decision to sign a Deed of Commitment taken?

Usually, the decision by an AGDA to sign a Deed of Commitment is taken after a long-term engagement with Geneva Call. In fact, the Deed cannot be modified, and it has to be accepted in its entirety by the armed group and de facto authority that is going to sign it.

Before a DoC is signed, AGDAs usually agree to review their internal Codes of Conduct and in case also issue Unilateral Declarations on specific thematic areas, which can sometimes represent a first step toward the signature of a Deed of Commitment.

Geneva Call has established clear criteria for the signature of a Deed of Commitment by an AGDA, and two of them are essential. Firstly, the AGDA needs to have a clear command chain that is capable of ensuring that the orders given reach all levels of command. Secondly, Geneva Call staff needs to have direct and unimpeded access to the territories controlled by the signatory AGDA. If any of these two criteria are not met, Geneva Call’s engagement with the groups will continue but will not result in the signature of a DoC.

What happens after the signature of a Deed of Commitment

The signature of a Deed of Commitment includes specific provisions allowing Geneva Call to monitor and accompany the implementation plan of such commitments.

The implementation plan outlines the measures that the AGDAs will take for each of their commitments, the support required from Geneva Call for capacity building, and a timeline for regular progress reports and revisions. Each measure is required to be done within a specific timeframe. An AGDA that is obliged to issue command orders or to undergo training, for example, must do so by an exact date.

What happens in case of violations of the Deeds of Commitment?

When we receive reports of alleged violations, Geneva Call starts a verification process through different channels and its confidential bilateral dialogue with the AGDA.

If the violation is confirmed, we will urge the AGDA to undertake an appropriate remedial measure. We would first communicate this need through a regular report shared with an AGDA’s leadership.

Only in the most serious cases would we consider suspension of dialogue with an AGDA and public reporting of its violations of these commitments, and possibly repudiate the signed Deed of Commitment.

This type of scenario has never occurred, but it could happen if: an AGDA consistently refuses to address its own serious violations of the commitments that it has made; these violations continue; and all other avenues for trying to address the violations have been exhausted.

Here is a list of signatories of our Deeds of Commitment

Famine and Food Insecurity - 1

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Nduma pour la défense du Congo-Rénové/Guidon (NDC-R/Guidon)

2024

Anti-personnel mines - 54

Iraq

Kurdistan Regional Government-Sulaymaniyah

2002

Kurdistan Regional Government-Erbil

2002

Yemen

Southern Transitional Council (STC)

2019

Iran

Komala Party of Kurdistan

2009

The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran :

2009

PJAK :

2010

PDKI :

2007

PAK :

2015

Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan :

2009

KDP-Iran

2010

Somalia

United Somali Congress/Somalia National Army/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council/Nakuru

2002

United Somali Congress/Somalia National Army/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council

2002

United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Army

2002

United Somali Congress/North Mogadishu/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council

2002

Transitional National Government

2002

Southern Somali National Movement/Somalia National Army/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council

2002

Southern Somali National Movement/BIREM

2002

Somali Patriotic Movement/ Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council (“Gabyow”)

2002

Somali National Front/ Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council

2002

Somali African Muki Organization/ Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council/ Nakuru

2002

Rahanweyn Resistance Army/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council (“Shatigudud”)

2002

Rahanweyn Resistance Army/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council (“Madobe”)

2002

Puntland State of Somalia

2002

Jubba Valley Alliance (JVA)

2005

Jowhar Administration

2002

Hiran Patriotic Alliance/Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council

2002

Banadiri

2002

India

NSCN-IM

2003

Zomi Re-unification organisation :

2009

National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khole Kitovi (NSCN-KK) :

2014

Kuki National Organisation (KNO)

2006

Syria

YPG/YPJ – Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria (AANES)

2014

FSA/Hazzm

2014

Central Division/FSA

2019

Brigade Al Motassam

2017

Brigade Al Hamza/FSA

2017

Brigade 51/FSA

2017

Western Sahara

Polisario Front :

2005

Türkiye

HPG/PKK/KCK :

2006

Sudan

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army :

2001

SPLM-N :

2013

SLM-MM :

2014

SLM-AW :

2014

JEM :

2012

Philippines

RPM-P/RPA-ABB :

2002

RPM-M/RPA :

2003

MILF/BIAF :

2002

Burundi

Conseil National pour la Défense de la Démocratie-Forces de Défense de la Démocratie :

2003

Burma/Myanmar

PSLF/TNLA :

2007

Pa’O Peoples Liberation Organisation :

2007

National United Party of Arakan :

2003

Lahu Democratic Front :

2007

CNF/CNA :

2006

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation 2003 :

2003

Child protection & Education - 31

Burma/Myanmar

RCSS/SSA

2019 2023

KNU/KNLA

2013

PNLO/PNLA :

2014

NMSP/MNLA :

2012

CNF/CNA :

2014

KNPP/KA :

2012

India

Zomi Re-unification Organisation

2016

Kuki National Organisation (KNO)

2015

National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khole Kitovi (NSCN-KK) :

2014

Iran

PJAK

2015

Komala Party of Kurdistan

2012

The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran :

2012

PDKI :

2012

PAK :

2015

Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan :

2012

KDP-Iran :

2012

Syria

Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria (AANES)

2014

FSA/ Union Force 21

2017

First Coastal Division

2017

Faylaq Al-Sham

2022

Division 23/FSA

2017

Central Division/FSA

2017

Brigade Al Motassam

2017

Brigade 51/FSA

2017

Al Watan Liberation Movement/FSA

2017

Al-Jabha Al-Shamiya

2022

Thailand

BRN :

2020

Türkiye

HPG/PKK/KCK :

2013

Sudan

SPLM-N :

2015

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

APCLS :

2016

Yemen

Southern Transitional Council (STC)

2019

Sexual violence & Gender discrimination - 26

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Nduma pour la défense du Congo-Rénové/Guidon (NDC-R/Guidon)

2024

Yemen

Southern Transitional Council (STC)

2019

Türkiye

HPG/PKK/KCK

2016

India

Kuki National Organisation (KNO)

2015

Zomi Re-unification organisation :

2013

NSCN-IM :

2015

National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khole Kitovi (NSCN-KK) :

2014

KNF :

2014

Iran

Komala Party of Kurdistan

2012

The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran :

2012

PDKI :

2012

PAK :

2015

Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan :

2012

KDP-Iran :

2012

Syria

YPG/YPJ – Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria (AANES)

2014

FSA/ Union Force 21

2017

FSA/Hazzm

2014

First Coastal Division

2017

Division 23/FSA

2017

Central Division/FSA

2017

Brigade Al Motassam

2017

Brigade Al Hamza/FSA

2017

Brigade 51/FSA

2017

Al Watan Liberation Movement/FSA

2017

Burma/Myanmar

KNU/KNLA :

2013

CNF/CNA :

2014

Healthcare - 6

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Collectif des mouvements pour le changement/Force de défense du Peuple Congolais (CMC-FDP)

2019 2024

APCLS :

2019

Syria

Faylaq Al-Sham

2022

Central Division/FSA

2019

Al-Jabha Al-Shamiya

2022

Mali

CMA :

2022

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