At the Crossroads: Multi-Stakeholder and Multi-Disciplinary Approaches in the Application of ihl

Abstract

The faithful application of ihl during armed conflicts requires working on a variety of systems, structures and institutions that exist within a society, to ensure that the environment is conducive to respect for the law. Accordingly, there are many different roads to travel down, from developing and interpreting international legal rules to building adequate domestic frameworks, and from training armed actors on the rules applicable in warfare to working with communities affected by violence to ensure their voices are heard. This article aims to recognize the value of bringing different actors together, fostering complementarity among them and joining their forces towards the common aim of ensuring better respect for the law. Based on recent examples and studies in the field of ihl training, application and implementation, the article also aims to help humanitarian practitioners, armed actors, diplomats, legal scholars and others identify ways to work together and cross-fertilize their work.