Event information

19 May 2018, 11:00-13:00
Register start 7 May 2018
Register end 19 May 2018

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The Military Component in the Negotiation of International Humanitarian Law Instruments

Military Briefings

Afghan National Army in Kandahar Province Afghan National Army in Kandahar Province

A number of different factors come into play during the development of new rules of international humanitarian law (IHL). Drafters need to take into consideration diverse perspectives and foresee as far as possible all potential consequences, including those of a military, humanitarian and political nature. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a realistic approach to the conduct of hostilities and the circumstances governing military operations.

This military briefing will discuss the balancing act involved in the negotiation of IHL instruments, particularly from a military perspective.

Briefing By

  • Colonel Jim Burke, Irish Defence Forces, Ireland.

About Colonel Jim Burke

Colonel Jim Burke is Director of Engineering in the Irish Defence Forces, with over 38 years’ service in the Corps of Engineers. He has completed 10 overseas tours of duty mainly in the Middle-East, Africa and the former Yugoslavia and has commanded troops at platoon, company and battalion level. He has also acted as a military and technical adviser to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs on conventional weapons processes with a particular emphasis on mine action and clearance of explosive remnants of war, and has worked on the negotiation of a number of international law instruments, including the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Protocols, the Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Arms Trade Treaty. He is a member of the European Defence Agency Working Group on Energy and the Environment, and currently, he is also Moderator of the Working Group on Renewable Energy Systems within the European Commission’s Consultation Forum on Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector.

Audience and Registration

This Military Briefing is primarily open to Geneva Academy’s students, who are prioritized in the allocation of seats (external persons may participate provided that there is sufficient room left).

Interested students and external participants need to register to attend this event via this online form.

About Military Briefings

Military Briefings are a unique series of events relating to military institutions and the law. They aim to improve our students’ knowledge of military actors and operations and build bridges between the military and civilian worlds.