Event information

20 February 2023, 18:00-19:30
Register start 5 February 2023
Register end 19 February 2023

Downloads

Flyer >

Changing the Rules of the (Nuclear) Game: Voices from the Humanitarian, Technological, Strategic and Legal Fields

Geneva Academy Talks

Nuclear missiles Nuclear missiles

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.

Moderation

  • Ana Srovin Coralli, Teaching Assistant, Geneva Academy
  • Francesco Romani, Research Fellow, Geneva Academy

Panelists

  • Eirini Giorgou, Legal Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross' Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit
  • Thomas Greminger, Director, Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
  • Alicia Sanders-Zakre, Policy and Research Coordinator, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

About IHL Talks

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.

Video

Changing the Rules of the (Nuclear) Game: Voices from the Humanitarian, Technological, Strategic and Legal Fields

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.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

News

New Podcast: The Geneva Conventions on Trial

21 November 2024

A new episode of our podcast 'In and Around War(s)' with the theme 'The Geneva Conventions on Trial' has just been released.

Read more

soldiers News

New Publication Examines the Effects of Private Military and Security Companies

12 March 2025

Our latest research brief examines how Private Military and Security Companies have reshaped warfare, international law, and global stability.

Read more

Event

Strengths and Challenges of Inter-State Applications Before the European Court of Human Rights

22 May 2025, 18:30-20:00

In this Geneva Academy Talk Judge Lətif Hüseynov will discuss the challenges of inter-State cases under the ECHR, especially amid rising conflict-related applications.

Read more

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

The Digitalization of Armed Conflict

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

Iraq, Mosul. View of the west bank after the war. Project

IHL in Focus

Started in January 2024

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.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2023

published on July 2024

Read more