The lack of respect for the Rules and Customs of War is quickly becoming a growing concern internationally. The fragility of peace-maintaining organizations and the culture of impunity surrounding the actions of irresponsible armed actors results in an increasing presence of armed conflict and its devastating consequences in the world.

Raoul Wallenberg was an exemplary Swedish figure renowned for his heroic efforts during World War II to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust. By putting himself at great personal risk, Wallenberg undertook efforts to help those in need, showing profound compassion, humanity, and determination. His actions have left a lasting legacy and are a powerful example of moral courage and the impact one individual can have in the face of evil. To honour his legacy, we are determined to seek ways that contribute to ensure respect for fundamental values of humanity even in situations of armed conflicts. We live in a world where the horrors of war continue to plague humanity and we work to find possible solutions through the activities of our focus area of research in IHL.

Our vision to move towards more just and inclusive societies that ensure the effective realization of human rights for all is severely debilitated by the disregard of basic tenants of humanity and the rule of law shown by many armed actors across the world. We are determined to face the challenges ahead in this area and contribute through our efforts to the respect of the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) across the world.

Background and RWI Approach

Balanced

As an independent academic institution, we approach International Humanitarian Law from a non-partisan stance. The need for security should always be weighed against the rules that seek the protection of those affected by armed conflict and that limit the choice of means and methods of warfare by armed actors. We seek to balance these two tenants of IHL (military necessity and protection) throughout all our activities in this area.

Progressive Thinking

We see IHL as a living area of law, and as such, we pay attention to the interpretations, trends and practices that develop its meaning throughout time and seek harmonious integration with other areas of law. Warfare evolves at a rapid pace, and so does our need to address the challenges from a modern and forward-looking perspective.

Practical Impact

We believe academic activities should have practical impact on the world we live in. Throughout our projects we seek to address areas of relevance and importance for people affected by armed conflict, armed actors, and practitioners in the field. We design and execute our projects with the hope that they guide policy response, trigger academic deep-thinking, and support practitioners in their daily activities.

Inter-sectoral Linkages

We recognize the tight link that exists between the humanitarian, development, and peace sectors. Our activities seek to ensure collaboration, integration and respect for their goals and activities. We do not seek to exclude any partners and thus we welcome collaboration with all relevant actors in this field. This will help us ensure to retain perspective, attend the realities of IHL on the ground, and reach outcomes that benefit positive action in the field.

Our ongoing initiatives on International Humanitarian Law

IHL Compliance Monitoring Database (ICMD)

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Photo by Алесь Усцінаў