At the proposal of the Federal Republic of Germany, Prof. Dr. Thilo Marauhn has been elected to the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission for the third time in a row. Thilo Marauhn, who is currently President of the Commission of Inquiry, will thus continue to investigate war crimes and other violations of international law together with 14 other elected members.
58 states participated in the election, which took place on 19 November 2021 in Bern. The Conference of States took place at the invitation of Switzerland, which is the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977. The 76 contracting parties that recognised the Commission's competence were entitled to vote. The Commission, which has existed since 1991, is a permanent body of the international community. Its members investigate possible war crimes or other violations of international humanitarian law at the request of a State Party involved in an armed conflict. The legal basis of the Commission is Article 90 of the Protocol of 8 June 1977 Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts. The newly appointed Commission will begin its work in March 2022. Its members serve in a personal capacity and respect the principle of impartiality.