Event information

7 July 2020, 12:30-14:00

Downloads

Flyer >

Protecting the Environment in Situations of Armed Conflict

IHL Talks

Iraq, Mosul, Shortly after the start of armed operations to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), 19 oil wells have been set ablaze by retreating armed groups south of the city. Iraq, Mosul, Shortly after the start of armed operations to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), 19 oil wells have been set ablaze by retreating armed groups south of the city.

It goes without saying that there can be no sustainable human life without the natural environment, and yet such an environment is too often degraded because of armed conflict.

Armed conflicts can lead to environmental degradation or destruction (such as the contamination of land and soil) with effects frequently extending over large areas, including to water resources, thus contributing to the increased vulnerability of the affected populations that can last for years and even decades.

This online IHL Talk will provide an overview of the rules of international law providing protection to the natural environment and seeking to limit the damage caused by it, as well as of initiatives aimed at clarifying and/or reinforcing such rules. Panelists will also discuss avenues for the criminalization of prohibited behaviours, notably through the crime of ecocide.

Moderator

  • Öykü Irmakkesen, PhD Candidate, University of Geneva and Teaching Assistant, Geneva Academy

Panelists

  • Jérôme de Hemptinne, Lecturer at the Geneva Academy and at the Universities of Louvain, Strasbourg and Lille
  • Marja Lehto, Ambassador and Senior Expert on Public International Law, Legal Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Member, International Law Commission
  • Vanessa Murphy, Legal Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Maud Sarliève, Human Rights and International Criminal Lawyer

How to Join the Discussion

To attend this online IHL Talk you will need to make sure you have downloaded Zoom on your computer or device, if you haven’t installed Zoom yet, you can do so here.

You need to register in order to receive the link to this online IHL Talk. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email and the link to the online IHL Talk will be sent to you 24 hours prior to the event.

On the day of the event, please click on the link which will connect you to the event. If you haven’t downloaded Zoom, you may be requested to do so.

Asking Questions to Panelists

You can use the chatbox to ask your questions, the moderator will make a selection of questions at the end of the presentations. There will be no possibility to interact by webcam and microphone in order to avoid connexion issues.

About IHL Talks

The IHL Talks are a series of events, hosted by the Geneva Academy, on international humanitarian law and current humanitarian topics. Every two months, academic experts, practitioners, policymakers and journalists discuss burning humanitarian issues and their regulation under international law.

Video

Protecting the Environment in Situations of Armed Conflict

Watch the video where panelists provide an overview of the rules of international law providing protection to the natural environment, as well as of initiatives aimed at clarifying and/or reinforcing such rules.

 

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

View of the European Court of Human Rights News

The Geneva Academy Will Intervene as a Third Party in the Case Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia

27 March 2023

The Geneva Academy has been granted leave by the European Court of Human Rights to intervene as a third-party – along with 26 governments – in the Inter-State case Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia

Read more

Geneva Academy flags on the Mont-Blanc bridge News

The Geneva Academy Flags Fly on the Mont-Blanc Bridge for our 15th Anniversary

14 November 2022

From 14 to 20 November, flags with the Geneva Academy’s logo will be flying on the Mont-Blanc Bridge on the occasion of our 15th anniversary.

Read more

Central African Republic,  Bangui. Soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo patrol the Multinational Force of Central African States - Event

Duties to One's Own Population and Combatants in War: Is there an ‘Internal’ Jus in Bello?

11 May 2023, 18:30-20:00

In this talk, Professor Frédéric Mégret will seek to excavate an understanding of IHL as partly about protecting one’s population rather than minimizing harm to ‘other’ populations.

Read more

Portrait of Magistrate Roberto Vidal Event

Taking Stock of Five Years of Work at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace: Challenges and Achievements

31 March 2023, 18:30-20:00

In this discussion co-organized with the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the UN in Geneva, the President of Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace Magistrate Roberto Vidal will discuss the challenges and achievements of this body.

Read more

Yemen,  Sana'a, Faj Attan district. Destruction. Short Course

From Use of Force to Responsibility to Protect

24 May - 6 June 2023

This online short course provides an overview of the content and evolution of the rules governing the use of unilateral force in international law, including military intervention on humanitarian grounds and the fight against international terrorism. It focuses on the practice of states and international organizations.

Read more

Afghanistan, Parwan detention facility. Inside a room where detainees of the prison, separated by an acrylic glass, are allowed to meet with their families a couple of times per year with the help of the ICRC employees who facilitate the programme. Short Course

Preventing and Combating Terrorism

27 April - 8 June 2023

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.

Read more

Computer screen with warning: civilian infrastucture: do not attack Project

Digitalization of Conflict Joint Initiative: Humanitarian Impact and Legal Protection

Started in September 2020

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.

Read more

Central African Republic, Ouham province, village of Ouogo. International Humanitarian Law dissemination session to members of the Peoples' Army for the Restoration of Democracy. Project

From Words to Deeds: A Study of Armed Non-State Actors’ Practice and Interpretation of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Norms

Completed in January 2017

This project aimed at compiling and analysing the practice and interpretation of selected international humanitarian law and human rights norms by armed non-state actors (ANSAs). It had a pragmatic double objective: first, to offer a comparative analysis of IHL and human rights norms from the perspective of ANSAs, and second, to inform strategies of humanitarian engagement with ANSAs, in particular the content of a possible ‘Model Code of Conduct’.

Read more

Cover page of the study Publication

From Words to Deeds A Study of Armed Non-State Actors’ Practice and Interpretation of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Norms: Research and Policy Conclusions

published on September 2022

Annyssa Bellal, Pascal Bongard, Ezequiel Heffes

Read more