Training on Humanitarian Law (4 hours)

Keywords: international humanitarian law, armed conflicts, applicable law

The aim of the training on humanitarian law was to enable participants to identify situations in which international humanitarian law (IHL) becomes applicable, and to explain the sources of IHL, as well as the underlying principles of that law.

Structure

1. Introduction: What is IHL and why do we need it.
2. Exercise: Qualification of situations (armed conflicts, tensions, etc.), applicable law (IHL, human rights law, national law)
3. Discussion

Reference was made to contemporary situations of armed conflict by means of press articles and in conclusion it was agreed that IHL is appropriate for situations of armed conflicts.

Presenter

Raoul Bittel (ICRC), rbittel.gva@icrc.org

Bibliography

• David, E., Principes de Droit des Conflits Armé, 2^ème éd., Bruylant, Bruxelles, 1999.
• Green, L. C., The contemporary law of armed conflict, 2^nd ed., Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2000.
• Fleck, D., The Handbook of Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflicts, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999.