The theme of this year’s edition

This 23rd edition of the Bruges Colloquium on IHL will focus on the parties and actors involved in contemporary armed conflicts, be it States, non-State and individual actors. The purpose will be to confront the scope of IHL to contemporary situations and to discuss how IHL applies to actors who may be regarded as emerging or unconventional actors of warfare.

With the active participation of an international audience, leading IHL experts and practitioners will discuss:

1. The contemporary landscapes of armed conflicts and the actors engaged in these conflicts
2. Neutrality, co-belligerence, foreign interventions and support to parties in armed conflicts
3. The multiplicity of actors and challenges for the application of IHL

Overview of the sessions

Session 1 – Setting the Scene

Global trends and contemporary landscapes of armed conflicts

Session 2 – 1st Panel

International armed conflict: when does a State become a Party to the conflict?

Session 3 – 2nd Panel

Not taking sides: Is the Law of Neutrality still relevant in the XXIst century?

Session 4 – 3rd Panel

Reaching the threshold(s): when do non-State actors become parties in an armed conflict?

Session 5 – 4th Panel

On the battlefield: the multiplicity of actors and challenges for the application of IHL – Part I

Session 6 – 5th Panel

On the battlefield: the multiplicity of actors and challenges for the application of IHL – Part II

Registrations close on 12/10 (on-site) and on 17/10 (online)