Formation au droit international humanitaire à Vancouver

Présentation du programme

International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also called the law of armed conflict, is the body of treaty and customary rules that limits the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not, or are no longer, taking part in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.

The context in which these rules are applied has changed sharply. The ICRC’s Humanitarian Outlook 2026 counts around 130 armed conflicts in 2024, more than double the number fifteen years earlier, and reports that more than 204 million people live in areas under the full or contested control of armed groups. The same analysis warns that respect for IHL is weakening.

States and humanitarian organisations have responded with a new round of commitments. In May 2024 the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2730 on the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel. In September 2024 the ICRC and six states launched the Global Initiative to galvanise political commitment to IHL, which 99 states had joined by January 2026 and which leads to a High-Level Conference on Humanity in War in Jordan in late 2026. In October 2025 the ICRC completed its updated Commentaries on all four Geneva Conventions.

This International Humanitarian Law Training in Vancouver gives officials, humanitarian managers, legal advisers and diplomats a structured, practical command of the rules: where they come from, when they apply, what they require in the conduct of hostilities, detention, occupation and humanitarian access, and how states and organisations turn them into policy, training and accountability. The approach is legal and humanitarian; it is not a course in military operations, and it stays neutral on current conflicts.

Canada offers a useful reference point. It has ratified the Geneva Conventions and all three Additional Protocols, implements them through the Geneva Conventions Act and the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

Le programme renforce les capacités institutionnelles en matière de

• Identifying the treaty and customary sources that bind a given actor
• Classifying situations as international or non-international armed conflict
• Applying the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution at policy level
• Protecting civilians, the wounded and sick, and persons deprived of liberty
• Interpreting the law of occupation and its duties towards the population
• Negotiating and safeguarding humanitarian access and relief operations
• Protecting humanitarian, medical and UN personnel under resolution 2730 (2024)
• Using the ICRC customary IHL database and the updated Commentaries
• Understanding the relationship between IHL and international human rights law
• Designing IHL dissemination and training for staff and partners
• Advising on national implementing legislation and emblem protection
• Working with national IHL committees and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies

Each day combines legal analysis with exercises drawn from real instruments, reports and national practice, so participants leave with tools they can apply in their own ministries, missions and organisations.

The Growing Importance of International Humanitarian Law

The pressure on humanitarian space is visible in the data. Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database recorded 383 aid workers killed in 2024, the highest number ever recorded, and 350 in 2025, the second-highest. Resolution 2730 responded by demanding that parties to conflict respect their obligations, calling for prompt and impartial investigations, and asking the Secretary-General for recommendations, which he delivered in November 2024.

At the same time, the legal framework is being clarified and updated. The 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva in October 2024, adopted a resolution on protecting civilians against the human cost of ICT activities during armed conflict. The Global Initiative is running seven workstreams, co-led by 27 states, on topics including prevention and implementation, protection of civilian infrastructure, medical care, new technologies, naval warfare and the contribution of IHL to peace.

Les organisations ont de plus en plus besoin de professionnels capables de :

• Explaining which rules apply to a situation and why
• Reading treaty provisions alongside customary rules and Commentaries
• Briefing senior officials on IHL obligations in plain language
• Assessing humanitarian access constraints against legal standards
• Building IHL into operational policies, codes of conduct and partner agreements
• Documenting and reporting incidents affecting civilians and aid workers
• Engaging constructively with armed forces, authorities and armed groups on humanitarian issues
• Distinguishing IHL, human rights law and refugee law obligations
• Supporting national implementation and accountability processes
• Designing dissemination programmes for staff, volunteers and the public

Strong international humanitarian law systems help organisations:

• Protect staff, partners and the people they serve
• Negotiate access on a principled and consistent basis
• Reduce legal and reputational risk in conflict settings
• Meet commitments made under resolution 2730 and the Global Initiative
• Respond to incidents with sound documentation and reporting
• Align national legislation with treaty obligations
• Contribute to prevention rather than only response

For ministries of foreign affairs, defence and justice, humanitarian agencies and national societies, a working knowledge of IHL is now a core institutional competence, not a specialist interest. Organisations reviewing staff capability can start with Risalat’s free training needs assessment.

Who Should Attend This International Humanitarian Law Training?

Ce programme s'adresse à :

• Officials of ministries of foreign affairs, justice, defence and interior
• Members and secretariat staff of national IHL committees
• Legal advisers in government, international organisations and NGOs
• Staff of UN peace operations and political missions
• Personnel of intergovernmental and regional organisations
• Humanitarian programme and country directors
• Protection, access and civil-military coordination officers
• Staff and volunteers of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies
• Diplomats covering humanitarian affairs and multilateral negotiations
• Military and police legal officers working on training and policy
• Prosecutors, investigators and judicial officials
• Policy and advocacy managers in humanitarian NGOs
• Academics and researchers in international law

No prior legal qualification is required. Sessions are pitched for professionals who apply the law in policy, operations and advocacy.

International Humanitarian Law Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this International Humanitarian Law Training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the purpose, history and sources of IHL, including customary law
• Classify armed conflicts and identify the rules that apply to each
• Apply the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution to case scenarios
• Describe the protections owed to civilians, the wounded and sick, and detainees
• Analyse the main obligations of an occupying power
• Assess legal rules on humanitarian relief and access
• Explain the protections for humanitarian and medical personnel and the content of resolution 2730
• Distinguish IHL from international human rights law and show how they interact
• Outline how serious violations are prosecuted nationally and internationally
• Use the ICRC customary IHL database and updated Commentaries for research
• Design an IHL dissemination and implementation plan for their institution

Objectives are tested through short daily exercises and a final capstone in which teams present an implementation roadmap for their own institution.

Contenu et structure du programme

International Humanitarian Law Training Methodology

The programme is taught as applied law. Short expert inputs are followed by work on primary texts, real institutional documents and fictional scenarios designed to test reasoning without commenting on any current conflict.

Le programme associe :

• Short lectures on rules, sources and interpretation
• Close reading of treaty articles and ICRC Commentaries
• Research exercises in the ICRC customary IHL database
• Classification and legal analysis scenarios
• Group case studies on humanitarian access and relief
• Policy mapping against resolution 2730 recommendations
• Role plays of humanitarian negotiation and briefing senior officials
• Comparative review of national implementation, including Canada
• A capstone roadmap presented to a mock senior panel

Facilitators adjust examples to the regions and institutions in the room. All scenarios are constructed for learning and do not provide operational military advice.

Résultats attendus

Upon completion of this International Humanitarian Law Training, participants will be able to:

• Brief colleagues and leaders accurately on which IHL rules apply
• Prepare concise legal notes on access, detention and protection questions
• Use primary sources and the customary IHL database with confidence
• Review institutional policies against resolution 2730 recommendations
• Contribute to national IHL committee work and voluntary reporting
• Design or improve IHL dissemination for staff and partners
• Engage in multilateral IHL discussions with clear institutional positions
• Apply a consistent, principled approach to humanitarian negotiation

Participants also leave with a draft roadmap that can be tested with colleagues and adapted to their institution’s mandate.

Institutional Application of International Humanitarian Law Training

Ce programme aide les organisations à renforcer :

• Legal advisory functions in ministries and humanitarian agencies
• National IHL committee coordination and reporting
• Implementing legislation and emblem protection
• Access negotiation strategies and principled engagement
• Staff safety policies linked to legal protection
• Incident documentation and reporting systems
• Training curricula for staff, volunteers and partners
• Positions for multilateral and Global Initiative processes
• Cooperation with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies
• Accountability and referral procedures for serious violations

Les participants repartent avec des outils pratiques pour améliorer :

• Conflict classification checklists
• Legal briefing note templates
• Customary IHL research guides
• Resolution 2730 self-assessment matrix
• Humanitarian access negotiation planners
• Incident documentation forms
• National implementation roadmap template
• Dissemination and training plan outline

Institutions planning wider reform can pair the programme with Risalat’s free institutional capacity assessment to set priorities across legal, policy and training functions.

Pertinence régionale & mise en application

Europe

France is one of the six states that launched the Global Initiative, and European practice continues to feed the customary IHL database: the February 2026 update added practice from Croatia.

Afrique

South Africa co-launched the Global Initiative and has worked with the ICRC to build political commitment to IHL across the continent. Africa also has the Kampala Convention, the only binding continent-wide framework for internally displaced persons, ratified by 34 African Union member states, which links IHL with protection of the displaced.

Moyen-Orient

Jordan is a founding state of the Global Initiative and will host the High-Level Conference on Humanity in War in the last quarter of 2026.

Asie

China and Kazakhstan are among the founding states of the Global Initiative, and the 2026 database update added practice from Cambodia. Asian ministries and national societies use IHL training to prepare positions for workstreams on new technologies, civilian infrastructure and naval warfare.

Pacifique

Australia led the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which Canada endorsed in September 2025.

Amérique latine

Brazil is a founding state of the Global Initiative. Governments and national societies in the region contribute to discussions on prevention, implementation and IHL’s contribution to peace.

Whatever the region, the programme helps participants link global commitments to the national laws, policies and training that make them work.

Profil du pays d'accueil – Canada

Vancouver, on Canada’s Pacific coast, is a well-connected international city with a diverse population and strong universities, making it a practical and comfortable setting for an intensive legal programme. It also has a link to the topic: in November 2017 Canada launched the Vancouver Principles on peacekeeping and the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers there, with 55 countries signing on at launch.

Canada is a useful benchmark for national implementation. It ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1965, Additional Protocols I and II in 1990 and Protocol III in 2007. The Geneva Conventions Act criminalises grave breaches, and the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act of 2000 implements the Rome Statute. The Canadian National Committee for Humanitarian Law, established in 1998, brings together the Canadian Red Cross and federal departments including Global Affairs Canada, National Defence, Justice and Public Safety, and contributed to Canada’s 2024 voluntary report on domestic implementation.

Most visitors to Canada need either a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorisation (eTA), not both. Visa-exempt nationals flying to Canada need an eTA, while citizens of visa-required countries need a visitor visa; United States citizens are exempt from the eTA. Risalat provides invitation letters and visa guidance.

International Humanitarian Law Training Deliverables

Every participant receives a complete package of preparation, learning materials and follow-up support.

Avant le programme

• Pré-évaluation des participants
• International Humanitarian Law Readiness Assessment
• International Humanitarian Law Resource Pack
• Lectures préparatoires
• Aide et conseils gratuits pour le visa
• Accueil à l'aéroport & assistance à l'arrivée
• Hébergement avec petit-déjeuner
• Dîner de bienvenue et de réseautage

Pendant le programme

• Kit de formation Risalat (sac, gourde, mug, t-shirt, casquette, protège-passeport, stylos, carnet, magnet & porte-clés)
• Comprehensive International Humanitarian Law Training Manual
• Conflict Classification Checklist
• Customary IHL Research Guide
• Resolution 2730 Self-Assessment Matrix
• Humanitarian Access Legal Note Template
• National Implementation Roadmap Template
• Ateliers pratiques & simulations
• Discussions de groupe & apprentissage entre pairs
• Déjeuner et pauses-café quotidiens
• Accès complet aux installations du lieu de formation
• Mini tablette avec supports pédagogiques numériques
• Visite de terrain (le cas échéant)
• Visite récréative de la ville

Après le programme

• Certificat de participation
• Distinction Risalat de participation au programme
• Documents de référence après la formation
• IHL Treaty and Commentary Reference Index
• Dissemination Plan Template
• Accompagnement après la formation & conseils de suivi
• Rapport du programme

Ministries, national committees, missions and humanitarian organisations can request a tailored in-house version built around their mandate and region. Request a proposal and Risalat will design it with your team.

Common Challenges in International Humanitarian Law, And How This Training Helps

How can staff without legal training tell which rules apply?

The first day gives a simple classification method and a checklist for deciding whether an armed conflict exists and of what type, so non-lawyers can brief accurately and know when to seek legal advice.

How can we find authoritative answers quickly?

The second-day research case study teaches participants to use the ICRC customary IHL database and Commentaries, so they can trace a rule from treaty text to state practice in minutes rather than days.

How can humanitarian access be negotiated on a legal basis?

The third day covers relief obligations and the good faith interpretation stressed in the 2025 Commentary, and the workshop produces a legal note negotiators can adapt.

How can organisations respond to rising attacks on aid workers?

The fourth day links the legal protection of personnel to resolution 2730 and the Secretary-General’s recommendations, and the case study turns them into concrete policy changes.

How can a state close gaps in national implementation?

The fifth day reviews implementing legislation, national committees and voluntary reporting, using Canada as a reference, and the capstone produces a prioritised roadmap.

How can we keep training consistent across offices and partners?

The methodology and deliverables include a dissemination plan template and session materials that institutions can reuse for their own staff and volunteers.

How can new issues such as digital operations be addressed?

The fourth day examines the 2024 International Conference resolution on ICT activities and the Global Initiative workstream on new technologies, giving participants a framework for emerging questions. For a wider view of institutional readiness, see Risalat’s governance audit.

Questions fréquentes

Is this a military operations course?

No. The programme is a legal and humanitarian course on the rules of IHL and how institutions implement them. Scenarios are fictional and it does not give operational military advice.

Do I need a law degree to attend?

No. It is designed for officials, humanitarian managers, diplomats and advisers.

Does the programme cover recent developments?

Yes. It covers Security Council resolution 2730 (2024), the ICRC-led Global Initiative and its 2026 High-Level Conference, the 2024 International Conference resolution on ICT activities and the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Why is the programme held in Vancouver?

Canada has a well-documented national IHL system, including implementing legislation, a national committee with the Canadian Red Cross and a 2024 voluntary report, which participants use as a benchmark.

Can we run it in-house for our ministry or organisation?

Yes. Risalat can tailor the content, case material and region of focus for ministries, national committees, missions and humanitarian agencies.

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