IHL Events

Join us for the official first presentation of the 2025 IHL Youth Action Campaign thematic curriculum: Journalism and Armed Conflict! participants will explore the role of Journalism in Armed Conflict, delving into how journalists operate in war zones and the unique challenges they face. The program will examine how journalists interact with military forces, the legal protections and obligations they are afforded under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and how these laws apply in real-world scenarios. Participants will learn how IHL treats media infrastructure, the relationship between social media and the laws of war, and how gender intersects with special protections for journalists in conflict zones.

Join our 2025 cohort of IHL Youth Summit Representatives as they apply International Humanitarian Law to movies, shows and other pop culture references!

Beyond Borders: Legal Duties to Prevent Genocide under International LawDescription: This webinar explores the extent to which third-party states and actors are legally obligated under the Genocide Convention and customary international law to prevent the risk of genocide. It will examine the evolving interpretation of the “duty to prevent,” the threshold for triggering that duty, and the legal consequences of inaction. Through recent case law and state practice, the session will clarify when silence becomes complicity under international law.

Join some of the top Youth Advocates from the American Red Cross IHL Youth Action Campaign as they recap highlights from outstanding 2024-2025 YAC campaigns around the globe.

As the nature of conflict evolves, so too must the laws that govern it. This webinar explores how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies to the emerging domain of cyberwarfare. Participants will gain an understanding of what constitutes cyberwarfare, the various forms of cyberattacks, and how they intersect with the laws of armed conflict. The session will also highlight which types of cyber operations fall within IHL’s scope—and where legal uncertainties and grey areas remain in this rapidly developing field.

This webinar will provide an overview of how individuals and states can be held accountable for committing war crimes, along with a discussion of the practical realities and challenges that inhibit such mechanisms. Participants will gain an understanding of the types of crimes that can be prosecuted, where the prosecutions happen, and who does the prosecuting. Most war crimes trials don’t take place in the Hague but at the country level, so this webinar will also discuss how individual states investigate and prosecute war crimes.

What are the legal boundaries of acts of torture during armed conflict? As many as 48% of Americans believe that torture is sometimes acceptable in the context of war or counterterrorism operations. Do those beliefs have any grounding in the law? Join the American Red Cross for the latest iteration of our IHL 101 Series to learn about the intersection between torture and the law.