MOOC : International Humanitarian Law
About the MOOC
Armed conflicts have always existed around the world. Unfortunately, recent events have shown that this phenomenon is becoming increasingly complex, especially with respect to some legal issues, such as:
- The definition of combatants and the protection of detainees when terrorists are involved in the hostilities.
- The detention by rebels of State armed forces.
- The involvement and status of UN peacekeepers in armed conflicts.
This course will help you understand these complex legal issues by teaching you the law of armed conflict , a branch of public international law also known as ‘International Humanitarian Law’ (‘IHL’).We will address these issues in light of recent practice, including counter-terrorism, such as the fight against non-state actors like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in different regions of the world, as well as other recent and older conflicts, such as those in Armenia, Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, and the Israeli-Palestinian one.
The course will provide essential theoretical and practical knowledge for students, researchers and academics who wish to specialize in International Humanitarian Law as well as professionals, including members of NGOs, involved in armed conflict situations, or even members of armed forces.
MOOC content
Analysis of the sources (treaty, including the four 1949 Geneva Conventions, custom and jus cogens) as well as subjects (States, international organizations like the United Nations and armed groups) of International Humanitarian Law.
Qualification of situations of violence as armed conflicts and analysis of the temporal and geographical scope of application of International Humanitarian Law.
Analysis of the norms regulating the protection of persons in time of war, notably the wounded and sick people, the captured combatants and the civilians, including in time of occupation.