20 February 2023, 18:00-19:30
Register start 5 February 2023
Register end 19 February 2023
IHL Talks
Adobe
Groundbreaking advances towards the elimination of nuclear weapons occur at the same time as the spectre of nuclear annihilation resurfaces in different corners of the globe.
On one hand, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force in early 2021 with the support of a large number of states, complementing the existing non-proliferation architecture and the (much criticized) conclusions offered by the International Court of Justice in its 1996 Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons. On the other, the risks of a nuclear escalation that flow from the conflict in Ukraine or the tests of North Korea represent the most serious articulations of nuclear warfare since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the stand-off between India and Pakistan in the early 2000s.
The current use of the nuclear threat to shield (as opposed to prevent or circumscribe) an invasion, the blurring distinction between nuclear and conventional warfare, the role of the victim state and that of the international community at large raise the question of whether the premises upon which the nuclear discourse was built for the past 75 years – deterrence, reciprocity, the preeminence of state interests – are still valid today, and what this implies for the applicable legal framework and scope for legal regulation.
This IHL Talk will consider these questions through a multi-disciplinary lens, interrogating experts from diverse disciplines in order to obtain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of all the aspects contributing to the nuclear debate.
The topic of nuclear weapons and their place in the contemporary world will be addressed by taking into account their humanitarian impact, the impact of technological advancements, the ongoing relevance of the deterrence narrative and the implications on the international legal framework, including the scope for international norms to circumscribe and govern technological and strategic dynamics.
The IHL Talks are a series of events, hosted by the Geneva Academy, on international humanitarian law and current humanitarian topics. Academic experts, practitioners, policymakers and journalists discuss burning humanitarian issues and their regulation under international law.
In this IHL Talk on nuclear weapons and their place in the contemporary world, panelists discussed the humanitarian impact, the impact of technological advancements, the ongoing relevance of the deterrence narrative and the implications on the international legal framework, including the scope for international norms to circumscribe and govern technological and strategic dynamics.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Academy’s Board has been recomposed with Professor Christian Bovet as the new president, who was recently welcomed at Villa Moynier by the executive committee.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Academy has published the first spot report from the 'IHL in Focus' research project, ‘Food Insecurity in Armed Conflict and the Use of Siege-like Tactics.’
Brill Nijhoff
In his book launch, Linus Mührel will discuss his book’s main findings with experts from academia and the ICRC.
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
This online short course discusses the protection offered by international humanitarian law (IHL) in non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) and addresses some problems and controversies specific to IHL of NIACs, including the difficulty to ensure the respect of IHL by armed non-state actors.
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.
Shutterstock
This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.