Scope of the law in armed conflict. 2/4 The nature and challenges of classifying armed conflicts

SCOPE OF THE LAW IN ARMED CONFLICT - Part 2
• (00:00) The nature and challenges of classifying armed conflict - Prof. Marco Sassòli
• (13:06) Question: "If armed actors with purely criminal motivations continue to use force after a peace agreement, does the country remain classified as a non-international armed conflict?

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At a time where conflicts around the world are becoming more complex, answering the questions on the scope of international law - when does it apply, to whom and who does it protect? - is of particular relevance. The pursuit of the “war on terror” by military means has given rise to concerns over the emergence of a “global battlefield” governed by IHL. Contemporary armed conflicts also feature a multitude of actors, making it challenging to identify the parties to the conflict and the level of protection afforded to all present on the ground. Finally, the fragmentation of non-state armed groups and extraterritorial involvement of State armed forces raise further questions about the classification and typology of non-international armed conflicts.

The event took place in ICRC's Humanitarium (Geneva, Switzerland) on 19 February 2015, and launched an upcoming issue of the International Review of the Red Cross that will come out in print in May 2015 (part of the content is already available online).

The discussion was introduced by Helen Durham, Director of Law and Policy at the ICRC, and featured Prof. Marco Sassòli, Ms. Jelena Pejic and Prof Marko Milanovic as panelists, and with Prof. Noam Lubell as moderator.