IHL course for humanitarian professionals and policy makers, 23 years on!
The course was attended by 21 participants from a range of non-government organizations (ACTED, ACF), United Nations organs (OCHA, UNHCR) and regional organizations, such as the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). On average, participants had six years of professional experience in their respective domains. All were based in important operational contexts in the region and beyond.
According to Mariya Nikolova, the Legal Training Adviser based in Geneva, "the course is an opportunity to discuss how IHL is used in practice and relate the relevant legal framework to the work of practitioners from different backgrounds. It also provides an informal platform for peer-to-peer exchange with other colleagues who might be facing similar challenges in humanitarian action and each of whom brings a unique perspective to contemporary legal, operational and policy debates".
Among the topics covered were IHL and the environment, addressing violations through criminal justice, weapon contamination, and Protection of detainees.
"This course provided an opportunity to learn how people use humanitarian law from the perspective of donors, people who work with and represent the armed forces of states and regional organizations and from humanitarian practitioners working on the ground, day to day with victims of armed conflict." David Tuck, Regional Legal Advisor.