SWIRMO 2010 – Senior Workshop on International Rules governing Military Operations

For the past three years, SWIRMO has gathered military officers working at the senior operational level to examine and implement the international legal framework applicable to modern military operations. The workshop provides participants from over fifty countries with the tools necessary to integrate the relevant laws into their national doctrine, education, field training and disciplinary systems. In so doing, SWIRMO encourages international legal compliance across the entire spectrum of military operations.

Each year, SWIRMO is hosted jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the armed forces of a selected country. This year, SWIRMO will take place in Lucerne, Switzerland with the cooperation and support of the Swiss Army.

SWIRMO creates a strong multinational dynamic where experiences can be shared, allowing participants to broaden their views on the operational consequences of the law of armed conflict and international human rights law. In addition to developing a deeper understanding of the most pressing international legal issues faced in modern military operations, the workshop highlights the need to translate legal principles into practice. Considering the lessons learned from previous years, SWIRMO 2010 will be compressed from two weeks down to one and will take on a more thematic approach, concentrating on those current legal issues – including legal qualification of conflicts, targeting, military law enforcement operations and detention – with the greatest humanitarian impact worldwide.

SWIRMO 2010 invitations are being processed through selected defence ministries. The ICRC and the Swiss Army look forward to welcoming participants to the beautiful city of Lucerne for this event.