Press communiqué of the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions

The 45th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 10 October 2018.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the GID, the Co--‐Chairs acknowledge the participants’ continued commitment to this unique mechanism, which allows them to meet and to address important issues and concerns in order to reach tangible results.

Throughout the years, the GID have contributed to improved stability and accountability on the ground. A key achievement has been the establishment of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) and the related hotlines, which enable local security actors to address incidents on the ground. However, the Co--‐Chairs regret the current difficulties surrounding the IPRMs. While taking note of the positions of the participants, the Co--‐Chairs call on them to resume the regular meetings of the IPRMs without further delay.

Despite some achievements, core issues on the GID agenda remain to be resolved. While the principle of the non--‐use of force is largely being adhered to, efforts to agree on a joint statement on non--‐use of force and to work towards steps implementing this commitment have so far been inconclusive. Further work is required to provide sustainable security.

While there has been progress, challenges also remain regarding the needs and rights of conflict--‐affected communities. To address those, a broad range of humanitarian issues are being extensively discussed, such as livelihoods, documentation, freedom of movement as well as missing persons. Positive steps have been undertaken on archives and environmental threats, but much more needs to be done. Unfortunately, substantial discussions on IDPs and refugees have not been possible in recent years, due to repeated walkouts by some participants.

As we mark the 10th anniversary of the GID, the Co--‐Chairs call on the participants to adopt a forward--‐looking and more constructive approach that will allow this unique format to fulfil its mandate. The primary responsibility for making effective use of this format lies with the participants.
The Co--‐Chairs remain fully committed to do their utmost to facilitate this process.

The participants agreed to hold the next round on 11--‐12 December 2018