Strengthening the IHL Monitoring Capacity of the Humanitarian Sector

In partnership with the European Commission - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the International Humanitarian Law Centre (‘the IHL Centre’) is excited to give an update on our latest project, ‘Providing Protection: Strengthening the Capacity of the Humanitarian Sector to Monitor, Document and Advocate in Response to Violations of International Humanitarian Law’. 

This project is composed of three interlinked and complimentary components. 

1.) The Stockholm Manual: Monitoring respect for IHL and strengthening humanitarian advocacy 

The IHL Centre is pleased to announce that the Stockholm Manual is in the final stages of completion. The Stockholm Manual, developed in close consultation with representatives and experts on age, gender, disability, and other groups, is a tool to promote respect for IHL through monitoring and advocacy. It provides step-by-step guidance to accurately assess the extent to which parties to a conflict are respecting IHL and offers suggestions for how to use IHL when advocating for better civilian protection. It is our belief that informed analysis leads to more effective humanitarian advocacy. 

War is an unfortunate reality that threatens civilian safety. When advocating for greater humanitarian protection, IHL offers a legal framework against which the conduct of warring parties can be independently monitored and assessed. Where appropriate, framing humanitarian advocacy in legal terms can offer a degree of objectivity, increased authority, and lead to improved humanitarian outcomes.    

Extensive research and consultations during the piloting phase of the Manual confirmed that there is a lack of comprehensive and standardised guidance for humanitarian actors who wish to engage in responsive and informed IHL advocacy. The Stockholm Manual addresses this gap by providing humanitarian actors with accessible guidance and support on IHL monitoring and advocacy. The Manual explains the benefits and risks of IHL advocacy and helps humanitarian actors determine whether and under what circumstances IHL is likely to be an effective tool in reducing civilian harm.  

The Stockholm Manual will strengthen the capacity of the humanitarian sector to engage in accurate, tailored, and effective IHL-informed advocacy. 

2.) The IHL Advisory Service 

The second strand of intervention is our IHL Advisory Service. Effective humanitarian advocacy requires timely and high-quality analysis as developments unfold. In response to this need across the humanitarian sector, the Advisory Service provides rapid technical and strategic advice to the humanitarian community on all branches of international law applicable in armed conflicts.  

The Stockholm Manual has been designed to work in concert with the IHL Advisory Service. The Stockholm Manual provides an entry-point for humanitarian actors to incorporate IHL analysis and advocacy in their work, which can then streamline requests through the Advisory Service on the more technical or complex areas of law. Together, these projects help to build the capacity of the humanitarian sector to engage in IHL and use it advocate for better civilian protection in armed conflict. 

3.) The Inclusion Report 

To facilitate the humanitarian community's ability to engage in inclusive, responsive, credible, and high-quality IHL advocacy, the IHL Centre formed an Expert Group in which leading experts on IHL diversity and inclusion came together to share their knowledge of the identity dynamics of conflict and provide guidance on how IHL advocacy and monitoring can be strengthened. The Expert Group drafted a report on how IHL can be interpreted, applied, and monitored to ensure it provides the strongest possible protection to all persons living in conflict settings.  The findings of the report have been integrated throughout the Stockholm Manual and incorporated into our Advisory Service.   

The Expert Network on Inclusion is a significant achievement and the first of its kind. It is a challenge to push for an inclusive, and therefore more protective, interpretation of existing IHL standards in the current climate where even the most basic principles of IHL are not adhered to. We envisage this report being the first step in a longer journey to ensure that inclusion is a central component of all IHL implementation, advocacy, and monitoring.