Executive Summary

Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are organizing an international expert conference on international humanitarian law (IHL) from April 21-30, 2026 in Geneva. Over 300 experts from approximately 130 countries, predominantly from defense ministries, will participate in the exchange. The focus is on the practical implementation of the precautionary principle to protect civilians in armed conflicts. The conference is the third of its kind and will be conducted in hybrid format.

Persons

  • Switzerland (Host country; coordination with ICRC)
  • ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross; co-organizer)

Topics

  • International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
  • Civilian protection in conflicts
  • Precautionary principle
  • Urban warfare
  • Technology and civilian protection

Clarus Lead

The conference addresses a growing implementation problem: while the IHL precautionary principle is normatively established, its practical application in modern conflicts regularly fails. Particularly in densely populated urban areas – where civilians live directly adjacent to military targets – significant protection gaps emerge. Switzerland thus positions itself as a mediator between normative requirements and operational reality, to catalyze pragmatic progress in international laws of war.

Detailed Summary

The conference's central problem lies in the discrepancy between legal obligations and their implementation. The IHL precautionary principle requires conflicting parties to continuously spare civilians and civilian infrastructure when planning and conducting military operations. In practice, however, significant challenges arise: modern conflicts increasingly take place in urban environments, where the spatial proximity of civilian populations and military targets promotes collateral damage. Additionally, the use of new technologies creates both protection potential and new risks.

The conference will address three core questions: How can military operations in complex urban environments be planned and conducted in a way that ensures civilian protection? How can civilian protection considerations be better integrated into military decision-making processes? How can new technologies be utilized to improve civilian protection without creating new risks? Participants will present national implementation measures and document best practices. Following the conference, Switzerland and the ICRC will publish a final report with catalogued best practices. This series of expert conferences – previous meetings took place in 2023 (environmental protection) and 2020 (protection of medical activities) – leverages Geneva's position as a global center for IHL expertise and humanitarian action to systematically connect normative and operational perspectives.

Key Statements

  • The practical implementation of the IHL precautionary principle remains a central implementation deficit in modern conflicts.
  • Urban warfare and new technologies require new approaches to civilian protection.
  • Switzerland and the ICRC utilize Geneva as a platform to document national best practices and promote international consensus.

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence Quality: What concrete data or case studies demonstrate that the precautionary principle is actually not being implemented in practice – or is this an assumption by the organizers?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: Which countries with documented violations of the IHL precautionary principle are participating, and how are criticism and accountability addressed in the conference?

  3. Causality: Do expert conferences demonstrably lead to improved IHL compliance in conflict countries, or do the results remain primarily documentary?

  4. Implementability: How are documented best practices practically implemented in countries with weak institutions or resource shortages?

  5. Technology Risks: What control mechanisms prevent "new technologies for civilian protection" (e.g., AI-assisted targeting) from actually leading to greater precision or new escalation risks?

  6. Transparency: Are conference protocols and country reports made publicly accessible, or do they remain confidential?

Sources

Primary Source: Swiss Federal Council – Statement on International Humanitarian Law – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/MnxsAP9PpdhD3FhsAyHaZ

Verification Status: ✓ 20.04.2026

This text was created with the assistance of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Checking: 20.04.2026