The seminar is held in close collaboration between the ICRC and the TSIL, with active support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Advanced seminar is attended by 35 lecturers and practitioners representing the leading law schools and national authorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

In the course of the event, the participants will become familiarised with opinion of leading IHL specialists from Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Ukraine, and will discuss some of the topical issues of the contemporary humanitarian law. The seminar’s programme includes four modules: "IHL and other legal regimes: mutual complementarity in situations of armed violence", "Conduct of hostilities", "ICRC action" and "Development of IHL". The participants will also exchange experiences of bringing their countries’ national legislations in conformity with international humanitarian law and its instruction, as well as consider the main directions of ICRC action in the CIS countries.

- The teaching of international humanitarian law at the TSIL has a long history, - said the Rector of the Tashkent State Institute of Law Professor Mirzayusup Khakimovich Rustambaev at the seminar’s opening ceremony. - Law students have to know universal standards which embody universal values and contribute to establishing peace and humanising relations between people. One should also note that a substantial work on the implementation of international humanitarian law has already been carried out in the Republic of Uzbekistan: an article establishing liability for serious violations of the laws and customs of war was included in the Criminal Code, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the Use and Protection of the Emblems of the Red Cross and Red Crescent" was adopted in 2004. Our work in this direction will continue, for humanitarian law is developing constantly, and our Republic, as a full-fledged subject of international relations, treats the process of its development with a great attention.

- The International Committee of the Red Cross is glad to cooperate with the Tashkent State Institute of Law in the conduct of this seminar, - said in his turn Yves Giovannoni, Head of the ICRC Regional Delegation in Central Asia. - We hope that the creative atmosphere surrounding the seminar would allow the participants to exchange their experiences and knowledge successfully, which would have a positive impact upon further teaching of international humanitarian law and its implementation. We are also grateful to the authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan for their support in the seminar’s organisation, and hope to continue our fruitful cooperation in all directions of the ICRC activities.

The seminar has just begun its work, and the participants still have four days of lectures, group work and discussions ahead of them. One wishes to hope that, at the end of the event, they will take with them pleasant impressions of the accomplished work as well as ones of new acquaintances, communicating with colleagues and of the hospitable city of Tashkent.