22 March 2023, 18:30-20:00
Register start 16 March 2023
Register end 21 March 2023
Military Briefings
NATO
The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, raging for more than a year now, might arguably have both reinforced and transformed NATO: it refocused the alliance on its collective defence mission while exposing it to considerable challenges, especially in the legal field. From a jus ad bellum perspective, NATO is not a party to the Ukrainian conflict, however, some triggering conditions could be met and lead to the activation of article 5 of the Washington Treaty, in theory at least. As a military alliance, NATO is also preparing and planning for the potential of high-intensity conflict involving its members.
The possibility of such a scenario materializing – long deemed close to impossible – raises some sensitive jus in bello issues, old and new, such as the distinction between regular armed forces and private military companies, the protection of civilians in a large-scale urban conflict, the management of prisoners of war, as well as also the use of cyber and space in multi-domains operations. Other emerging challenges further complicate the legal landscape of the conflict, for a military alliance in particular: most notably disinformation and misinformation, which have the potential to open new ‘battlefields’. All these issues push NATO to its limits and generally question the contemporary role of military alliances, a context in which the law is often a source of answers as much as it is a source of further questions.
In this Military Briefing, Colonel Nathalie Durhin, an officer of the French air force currently assigned within the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), as the Head of the Operational Law Branch, will provide insights into how the Alliance approaches the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and addresses the many related legal challenges.
Cyprien Fluzin, Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy, will moderate the conversation with Colonel Nathalie Durhin.
Military Briefings are a unique series of events relating to military institutions and the law. They aim to improve our students’ knowledge of military actors and operations and build bridges between the military and civilian worlds.
Giada Rubino follows our online Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict while working as a Human Rights Associate at OHCHR in Colombia.
Guilhem Vellut
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
Elgar
On the occasion of the launch in Geneva of the volume Armed Groups and International Law. In the Shadowland of Legality and Illegality, panelists will reflect on the status of armed groups within a complex legal landscape.
Adobe
This annual conference co-organized with the University of Essex provides a space for experts and practitioners, diplomats, academics, young scholars and civil society representatives to discuss contemporary legal issues in armed conflict.
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.
UN Photo
This online short course focuses on the role of public international law in international relations and on international legal persons.
The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts project (RULAC) is a unique online portal that identifies and classifies all situations of armed violence that amount to an armed conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL). It is primarily a legal reference source for a broad audience, including non-specialists, interested in issues surrounding the classification of armed conflicts under IHL.
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.
Geneva Academy