7 May 2019
Our new publication Disability and Armed Conflict brings attention to the devastating impact conflict has on persons with disabilities and, crucially, highlights that many of the key international humanitarian law (IHL) provisions that serve to minimize the impact of armed conflict – such as the proportionality assessment and advanced effective warnings – are not being applied in a disability inclusive manner, resulting in persons with disabilities being killed, seriously injured or left behind as families flee armed attacks.
‘This publication brings attention to this extremely important, yet much overlooked topic that has been predominately ignored by states, humanitarian organizations, the United Nations (UN), civil society, the media as well as academics. It is the outcome of more than three years of research funded by SNIS and Pro Victimis, including field research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Palestine, Ukraine and Vietnam’ underlines Professor Marco Sassòli, Director of the Geneva Academy.
Persons with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world. According to the World Health Organization, they represent at least 15 percent of every population. Despite this, and the severe consequences that armed conflict has on them, ‘disability’ is still widely considered a niche issue in the conflict setting.
‘Very little research or literature exists on the topic’ underlines Alice Priddy, former Senior Researcher at the Geneva Academy and author of the publication.
‘Open the contents page or index of any textbook on armed conflict and it is unlikely to include ‘disability’. Military manuals and IHL training programmes do not meaningfully incorporate the disability perspective while UN-mandated commissions of inquiry and UN agency reports routinely fail to include a disability analysis of armed conflict. Alarmingly, not a single resolution of the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council or General Assembly is dedicated to addressing the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on persons with disabilities’ she adds.
The publication offers eight key findings and recommendations for states, humanitarian organizations and the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The findings and associated recommendations relate to: the application of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in differing conflict settings, the relationship between the CRPD and IHL, as well as analysis of a number of key IHL norms, including adverse distinction and humane treatment from a disability perspective.
The findings also challenge the miss-conceptions that continue to dominate disability discourse: including incorrect understandings of ‘disability’, the under-inclusive focus on physical and sensory impairment, and prevention of primary impairment being wrongly included within disability-rights.
‘In sum, the publication highlights that IHL is not being applied in a disability inclusive manner and this amounts to discrimination under the CRPD and also goes against IHL’s own norms that demand humane treatment and prohibit adverse distinction’ stresses Alice Priddy.
Besides the recommendations offered in the publication, training sessions were held in Palestine, Ukraine and Vietnam, to provide stakeholders on the ground – local organizations of persons with disabilities, state representatives, UN agencies and other international humanitarian organizations – with an overview of international law applicable to persons with disabilities and their inclusion in norms related to the conduct of hostilities.
‘We plan to continue to work on this topic by publishing a Military Briefing in early 2020 that will offer very concrete guidance to militaries on the law and policy changes they need to make to ensure that they are applying their IHL obligations in an inclusive manner’ explains Professor Marco Sassòli.
Determined to bring attention to the lives of persons with disabilities living in armed conflict, we have partnered with the photographer Giles Duley to tell the stories of some of those affected by armed conflict.
His photo exhibition on Quai Wilson (Geneva) from 30 Avril to 30 May 2019 tells the stories of persons with disabilities during and following armed conflicts including Odai in Gaza, Yasmine in Iraq, Betty in Uganda and Kholoud who fled Syria with her family and now lives in Holland after having spent almost three years in Lebanon.
Articles of War
Our LLM alumnus Ioannis Bamnios – who graduated in October – published the main and very innovative argument of his LLM paper on the ‘conduct of hostilities in occupied territories’ in the leading blog Articles of War of the US Military Academy at West Point.
Geneva Academy
Applications for the 2024–2025 academic year of our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights are open. They will run until 26 January 2024 for applications with a scholarship and until 24 February 2024 for applications without a scholarship.
Adobe
This panel will address crucial questions surrounding the necessity of a legal framework for gender apartheid under international law.
Adobe
Participants in this training course, made of two modules, will examine the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights and the environment, familiarizing themselves with the respective implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
ICRC
This online short course discusses the extent to which states may limit and/or derogate from their international human rights obligations in order to prevent and counter-terrorism and thus protect persons under their jurisdiction.
Adobe
To unpack the challenges raised by artificial intelligence, this project will target two emerging and under-researched areas: digital military technologies and neurotechnology.
Adobe
This research will provide legal expertise to a variety of stakeholders on the implementation of the right to food, and on the right to food as a legal basis for just transformation toward sustainable food systems in Europe. It will also identify lessons learned from the 2023 recognition of the right to food in the Constitution of the Canton of Geneva.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy