The Paul Reuter Prize in International Humanitarian Law

The Paul Reuter Fund, which finances the prize, was created in 1983 thanks to a donation made to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the late Paul Reuter, honorary professor at the University of Paris and member of the Institut de Droit International. Until 31 December 2021, the Paul Reuter Fund was run by the ICRC. On 1 January 2022, it was transferred to the Foundation for the ICRC, which acts as an umbrella for this and other such funds. 

Figure 2. Professor Paul Reuter ((11 February 1911 – 29 April 1990), founder of the Prize. Credit: the Hague Academy of International Law.

Prize Criteria

The jury awards the prize in accordance with the Paul Reuter Prize Regulations and the following criteria.

I. AUTHORITATIVE – Rigorously researched and in-depth analysis 

Taking diversity and inclusion into account, the work must be rigorously researched and provide in-depth analysis of IHL. In particular, it must avoid plagiarism by quoting sources. It should use consistent footnotes that refer to legal sources, cases and authors to support theses and ideas. It should integrate past and recent works on the themes it addresses. It should also reflect opinions that diverge from the author's arguments and take them into account in the theses presented. The work should provide an exhaustive bibliography on the topics it covers, a table of cases, a list of abbreviations, a detailed table of contents, and possibly an index.

II. INNOVATIVE – Contributing original and innovative ideas, concepts, notions or interpretations

The work should cast a new light on IHL rules, principles, concepts or notions and refresh and reenergize scholarly discussion as a result.

III: HUMANITARIAN – Advancing IHL Protective Scope

The work should clarify, interpret or develop IHL rules, concepts or notions in a way that contributes significantly to increasing the protection granted by IHL to people affected by armed conflict.

IV. USEFUL – Addressing relevant legal issues for debate and/or current humanitarian issues meaningfully

The work should address legal and/or humanitarian issues of concern in a useful and constructive way, so as to move the debate forward and/or help solve such issues.

V. GENERAL – Raising greater awareness of IHL and understanding worldwide

The work should refrain from being too context- or issue-specific. It should remain open and general enough to provide a meaningful contribution to raising greater awareness and understanding of IHL in a variety of contexts affected by armed conflict worldwide.

Submission Requirements

In addition, submissions to the Paul Reuter Prize must meet all the following requirements:

• no submission may be made by anyone currently working for the ICRC or having worked for the ICRC in the last 10 years

• submissions may be made in English, French or Spanish only

• submissions must have been published after the last edition of the Prize

• submissions must include three unabridged copies of the manuscript

• submissions must include an electronic version (PDF or Word) in addition to the three unabridged copies

• submissions must be proper IHL-related monographs, written by a single author or two co-authors and addressing one or a few related themes. While this includes completed doctoral theses that are not yet published, it explicitly excludes master’s degree theses, articles, brochures, multiple-author-edited volumes, teaching manuals or any other types of work.

...and consult the following sources for possible themes that could inspire their submission:

• 2024 ICRC report on IHL and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts
• Global initiative to galvanize political commitment to international humanitarian law – Calling for humanity to be upheld in war