In and Around War(s‪)‬ Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Following on from the discussions that took place during the recent IHL Talk on ‘The Weaponizing of Water in Contemporary Armed Conflicts’, Dr Eugenie Duss, researcher at the Geneva Academy speaks to Mark Zeitoun, Director General, Geneva Water Hub and Professor of Water Diplomacy, Geneva Graduate Institute, and Abby Zeith, Legal Adviser, Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit, Legal Division, International Committee of the Red Cross.

Subjects covered in the episode include role of expert engineers in decision processes related to the targeting of water during hostilities, the historical and contemporary use of water as a weapon, and the need for more research around these topics. The guests were also able to frame the issues in the context of their current roles and give some examples of positive developments in the legal work that is going into preventing the use of water as a weapon.

A new season of our podcast In and Around War(s) will launch soon with a series of discussions on topical issues related to the law around armed conflicts. This third season welcomes a new host, Research Fellow Eugénie Duss, who will meet with experts on a range of subjects related to the work of the Geneva Academy.

Cyberspace is increasingly used for war related purposes. But does international humanitarian law apply to cyber operations? In the season�s 2 last episode, Paola Gaeta and Ana Srovin Coralli host a very special guest � Antonio Coco, a Lecturer in International Law at the Essex University and an alumnus of the Geneva Academy � and an usual co-host of this podcast. They discuss inter alia which kind of cyber operations may be carried out in war, when a cyberattack can amount to an armed attack against a state, and whether there is a need for new rules which would be better placed to address the realities and challenges brought about by attacks in cyberspace.

Links
- Essex Award for Outstanding Early Career Researcher: Antonio Coco discussed his work https://vimeo.com/830392101
- The Oxford Process on International Law Protections in Cyberspace https://www.elac.ox.ac.uk/the-oxford-process/
- United Nations Open-ended Working Group I https://disarmament.unoda.org/open-ended-working-group/
- United Nations Open-ended Working Group II https://meetings.unoda.org/meeting/57871/documents
- The Digitalization and Armed Conflict: a research project of the Geneva Academy https://www.geneva-academy.ch/research/our-clusters/digitalization-and-new-technologies/detail/78-the-digitalization-of-armed-conflict
- Societal Risks and Potential Humanitarian Impact of Cyber Operations https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/working-papers/Societal%20Risks%20and%20Potential.pdf
- Protecting Societies: Anchoring a New Protection Dimension in International Law in Times of Increased Cyber Threats https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/working-papers/Protecting%20Societies%20-%20Anchori.pdf
- The Future Digital Battlefield and Challenges for Humanitarian Protection: A Primer https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/working-papers/The%20Future%20Digital%20Battlefield%20.pdf

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https://www.geneva-academy.ch/;
https://twitter.com/Geneva_Academy.


Credits for the production go to Margherita Capacci, Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco and Antonio Coco.

Hunger, starvation and famine are silent tragedies of wars. Limited or no access to food has often a devastating impact on civilian populations, and is one of the leading causes of death in armed conflict. Starvation has been used as a method of warfare despite clear prohibitions under international humanitarian law and international criminal law. But how much attention has been given to this issue in the past years? Have we seen any improvement? What are the most acute challenges with regard to hunger and armed conflicts that the international community is facing?

In this episode, the co-hosts Antonio Coco and Ana Srovin Coralli discuss the many challenges related to food insecurity in war with Brian Lander, the Deputy Emergency Director of the World Food Programme and an alumnus of the Geneva Academy�s Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict.

Links
- United Nations World Food Programme https://www.wfp.org/
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018) https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1627380?ln=en
- IHL Talk: Starvation and Armed Conflict https://www.geneva-academy.ch/event/past-events/detail/147-starvation-and-armed-conflicts
- Research Brief: Harmonizing War Crimes Under the Rome Statute
https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/Harmonizing%20War%20Crimes%20Under%20The%20Rome%20Statute.pdf
- Coco, de Hemptinne, Lander (eds), Special Issue on Starvation in International Law, 17(4) Journal of International Criminal Justice 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jicj/issue/17/4

Follow and contact us at:
https://www.geneva-academy.ch/;
https://twitter.com/Geneva_Academy.

Credits for the production go to Margherita Capacci, Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco and Paola Gaeta.

Mass surveillance and big data in wars highlight the tension between the protection of privacy and legitimate goals such as military necessity, documenting atrocities and support to humanitarian assistance.

In this episode, the co-hosts Paola Gaeta and Antonio Coco discuss the challenges of data protection and privacy in war with Ilia Maria Siatista, an alumna of the LLM program of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and currently a Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer at Privacy International � a London based NGO. They talk about the mandate of Privacy International and specific issues that arise while engaging with private actors involved in mass data collection in warfare.

Links:
Privacy International, registered charity based in London that works at the intersection of modern technologies and rights: https://privacyinternational.org
Clearview AI and the War in Ukraine: https://www.clearview.ai/ukraine
Ilia Maria Siatisa, �Serious Violations of Human Rights. On the Emergence of a New Special Regime�, Oxford University Press: 2022


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https://www.geneva-academy.ch/;
https://twitter.com/Geneva_Academy.

Armed groups and de facto authorities are key players in today�s armed conflicts: they directly impact civilian populations and pose an increasing global challenge. Non-governmental organizations such as Geneva Call engage and speak to them, in order to induce them to comply with the rules of international humanitarian law to enhance the protection of the civilian population caught in the midst of armed conflicts.

But does engaging with these groups and authorities actually make a difference to how the wars in which they participate are eventually being carried out?

In this first episode of the second season of 'In and Around War(s)�, Ezequiel Heffes, currently Director of the organisation called Watchlist, shares with us his rich experience of engaging with armed groups to ensure respect for international humanitarian law with the co-hosts Paola Gaeta and Ana Srovin Coralli.

Links
- Geneva Call, organisation engaging with armed groups to increase respect for IHL: https://www.genevacall.org/
- International Committee of the Red Cross, Restoring family links programme: https://www.icrc.org/en/what-we-do/restoring-family-links
- Watchlist, network of organisations that advocate for children in war zones: https://watchlist.org/
- Detention by Non-State Armed Groups under International Law, Cambrige University Press, January 2022: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/detention-by-nonstate-armed-groups-under-international-law/64639EE42DAEF7CA410127E217F73D25

Follow and contact us at:
https://www.geneva-academy.ch/;
https://twitter.com/Geneva_Academy.

Credits for the production go to Margherita Capacci, Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco, and Antonio Coco.