13 November 2024
At the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, we recently hosted a booth in the Humanitarian Village together with Geneva Call and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
Through an interactive quiz titled ‘Universality in Question(s),’ we invited participants to reflect on their understanding of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), particularly its unique universal nature.
IHL is framed as an international legal framework embodying values recognized by the global community. The rules, aimed at limiting the effects of armed conflict, are fundamental. However, their universality is sometimes debated. This quiz highlighted how the principles of IHL, while formalised in modern times, trace back to the practices of ancient civilizations. By presenting historical facts and similar wartime rules across cultures, we illustrated the universal resonance of IHL principles. The goal was to emphasise that these foundational ideas predate the Geneva Conventions and foster broader adherence through shared human values of refraining from atrocities in wartime.
This activity opened discussions between attendees and representatives from our two organisations present at the booth. It allowed the Academy to showcase its work in both research and education, through which it supports the humanitarian community and promotes greater respect for international humanitarian law.
A new episode of our podcast 'In and Around War(s)' with the theme 'The Geneva Conventions on Trial' has just been released.
Mission Suisse / Alain Grosclaude
The opening lecture of the 2025 Spring Semester will be given by Ambassador Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council and the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations.
ICRC
After having followed this online short course, participants will know who the protected persons and goods are and what rules of IHL can be used for their protection in an international armed conflict. An overview of the rules applicable in non-international armed conflicts will also be given.
ICRC
As a yearly publication, it keeps decision-makers, practitioners and scholars up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges in IHL implementation in over 100 armed conflicts worldwide – both international and non-international.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
The IHL-EP works to strengthen the capacity of human rights mechanisms to incorporate IHL into their work in an efficacious and comprehensive manner. By so doing, it aims to address the normative and practical challenges that human rights bodies encounter when dealing with cases in which IHL applies.