ICRC
8 January 2019
Our new War Report article The Syrian Conflict: Nearing the End?, written by Marija Sulce, provides an overview of the current situation in Syria, details the role and involvement of the various armed groups in the multiple and overlapping non-international armed conflicts that are taking place throughout the country, and maps foreign involvement of countries like the United States (US), Turkey, Iran or Russia in the international armed conflicts that are ongoing in Syria.
This short publication also reviews key developments in 2018, as well as war crimes allegations, investigations and prosecutions, including the work of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism.
It will form part, along with other analysis of conflict situations, of the War Report 2018 which will be published in the first quarter of 2019.
The article provides the tools to understand the complex dynamics that are at stake in Syria and recent developments, including the decline of the Islamic State, Assad’s territorial gains and the US announcement on 20 December 2018 of the full withdrawal of its troops.
‘While it seems that the conflict is nearing the end, the current situation in Syria is still highly volatile’ underlines Dr Annyssa Bellal, Strategic Adviser on International Humanitarian Law at the Geneva Academy and Editor of the War Report.
‘Several armed groups continue to operate in Syria, issues such as humanitarian access remain crucial and the involvement of different states like Turkey or Iran generates an extremely complex situation’ she adds.
The article also reviews the main allegations of war crimes committed in Syria by the various parties to the conflict, and the work of the newly established International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism.
The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC) online portal provides information on the classification of the international armed conflicts and non-international armed conflicts that are taking place in Syria, identifies the parties to these conflicts, and the applicable law.
Adobe
Discover our resources and what our experts and alumni say about the current situation in Israel and Palestine, with regular updates to include new events, articles, podcasts and comments.
ECHO
Our new research project IHL in Focus – launched at the beginning of the year – has been presented and discussed at the 2024 European Humanitarian Forum, a major yearly event convened by the European Union focusing on prominent humanitarian issues and challenges.
Cover page of the book
In this launch event, key experts will comment and dialogue with Professor Sassòli on specific aspects of the book, including naval warfare and the law of neutrality, sources of IHL, IHL and human rights, as well as the classification of armed conflict
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.
Oliver Peters / Pixabay
The ‘Counter-Terror Pro LegEm’ project combines legal analysis with social science research to (1) examine the effectiveness of counterterrorism measures and their effects on human rights and (2) analyse the structure of terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic State and see whether they qualify as ‘organized armed groups’ for the purpose of international humanitarian law.
UNAMID
This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy