LCHR participants discuss the meaning and application
of relevant legal documents.

Lawyers, commanders and staff officers from 13 nations recently attended DIILS third Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights (LCHR) course at NAVSTA Newport.  The three-week course offered a multi faceted view of the application of the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and human rights law to international and non international armed conflicts as well as other types of military operations.

The LCHR course examined the full range of LOAC and human rights issues facing the military today.  Topics covered included human rights issues in domestic operations, terrorism and human rights, child soldiers, torture, command responsibility, transparency in military justice, impunity, UN mechanisms for protecting human rights, detention operations, NGO relations and refugee issues.  Topical films helped LCHR participants understand the nature of LOAC and human rights challenges while group exercises on drafting and application of laws helped participants work through ideas for implementing international human rights standards. 

Gender violence as a tactic and weapon of war was a major point of emphasis.  Peggy Kuo, formerly with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), described her role in prosecuting the historic and precedent-setting case that established rape and sexual slavery as war crimes and crimes against humanity.  The Foca, Bosnia-Herzegovina cases arising out of the war in Bosnia were ground-breaking in recognizing the importance of gender in conflict.

LCHR instructors included distinguished US and international legal experts from government, the military, academia, and international organizations, such as the ICRC.  The graduation speaker, Brigadier Stuart Lythgoe, Director of Operational Law for the Army Legal Services, United Kingdom, offered some lessons learned on the role of operational legal advisors, based on his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

During field studies programs in Boston and New York City the participants met with human rights groups, including the ICRC, and internationally recognized gender violence lawyers discussed past atrocities and current thinking about this emerging field of law and international concern.  One participant offered “I already had a high impression of the US before I came here, but going to NYC was a privilege that provided me with much learning about how such a great nation was built.” One African participant commented, “What I know about the US is different now from when I arrived here, because I now understand that the people of America are good and the legal system is also very good.  I have come to a better understanding about foreign policy in general and the US policies on self-defense and other issues.” 

The DIILS LCHR course offered participants a unique opportunity for international interaction and constructive exchange of ideas.  In summary, one participant said “all the participants were here to agree to the disagreements in a cordial manner. The most encouraging line was that we all were here not to fight with each other but to fight for each other.”

For a course report and schedule of a recent LCHR course go to the following link:

https://www.diils.org/resource/lchr-12020-merged-finalpdf

Group pose before graduation luncheon.