The course addresses international humanitarian law as part of general international law. It introduces the student to the history and codification of IHL, from the16th century until today. The methodology is explained by highlighting the difference between ius ad bellum (the legitimacy of armed operations) and the ius in bello (law applicable during armed conflict).
The four Geneva conventions of 1949 and the two additional protocols of 1977 are looked upon into detail. Attention is paid to the question of law enforcement, in particular the numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council. The course illustrates IHL in some recent armed conflicts such as the NATO air campaign in Kosovo, the Libyan civil war, the Syrian civil war and looks at some new challenges of IHL regarding armed drones, cyber warfare and ‘foreign terrorist fighters’
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