Alumni Regional Security Conversation

This event will take place at the GCSP in Geneva and will be broadcasted live to our global GCSP Community.

• A welcome drink will be served at the GCSP as of 12:00, followed by a light lunch at 13:30 hosted by the GCSP for the on-site event.
• The event will start at 12:15, both online and in-person

GCSP Alumni and experts will discuss state policies and challenges across the borders with real-time examples on the repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign fighters and their families.

From 2013 until June 2019, over 50’000 people from 100 countries were estimated to have either travelled abroad to affiliate with ISIL/Da’esh in Iraq and Syria or were born in ISIL/Da’esh-held territory. Since the defeat of ISIL/Da’esh, over 8’000 people returned to their home countries either voluntarily or by state-organised repatriations. Currently, about 12’000 male fighters and more than 60’000 women and children, are held in detention facilities and camps in Northeast Syria guarded by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The conditions of the prisons and camps holding this population pose significant humanitarian, human rights, security, and administrative challenges.

The United Nations Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017), call for, inter alia, the assessment, prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters and their family members, in accordance with international human rights law, international refugee law, and international humanitarian law.

The United Nations have been calling on member states to repatriate their citizens, especially women and children who have been held in Al-Hol and Al-Roj camps. While dozens of member states have increased their efforts to repatriate, prosecute, rehabilitate, their nationals, still many other member states continue to face legal, operational and technical challenges.

GCSP Alumni and Experts will discuss:

• What kind of state policies are in place in regards to ISIS fighters and their families?
• Are there any good practices and lessons learned from the countries that repatriated their citizens such as Kazakhstan, Germany, Kosovo and Uzbekistan?
• How does Iraq factor into discussions regarding the repatriation of foreign fighters, considering its policy stance?
• What legal considerations and frameworks are involved in the repatriation and rehabilitation of foreign fighters?

Welcome and opening remarks

• Ms Christina Orisich, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Executive Education, GCSP

Speakers 

• Ms Cholpon Orozobekova, Director, Bulan Institute for Peace Innovations and Executive-in-Residence and Alumni Community Hub Lead Central Asia & Afghanistan, GCSP
• Dr Tareq Hamid Al-Fahdawi, Head, Security Studies and Community Department, University of Anbar Centre for Strategic Studies, Ramadi, Iraq and Alumni Community Hub Lead Iraq, GCSP
• Dr Annyssa Bellal, Executive Director, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, Visiting Professor, Geneva Graduate Institute
• Ms Marianne Gasser, Special Coordinator Syria, ICRC

Moderator

• Ms Isabelle Gillet, Head of Alumni & Community Engagement, GCSP

This Alumni Regional Security Conversation is organised by GCSP Community Engagement with the Iraq, Central Asia & Afghanistan Hubs.