EU Commissioner and Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Joint Press Release
EU Commissioner backs new report warning of rampant impunity for IHL violations
Brussels – As civilians continue to bear the brunt of today’s armed conflicts, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights will launch its second annual report, “War Watch – International Humanitarian Law in Focus”, at a high-level discussion hosted jointly with EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Ms Hadja Lahbib, and Oxfam International.
Taking place on Monday 2 February 2026 at 15:00 at the Press Club Brussels, the event marks the official launch of the report and provides a timely platform to examine the role of the EU and EU Member States in protecting civilians and the humanitarian space amidst the ongoing violations of IHL the report documents.
The War Watch report examines 23-armed conflicts worldwide between July 2024 and the end of 2025, documenting war crimes and other widespread and often systematic violations committed openly and without consequence.
“The findings of this report are a call to action,” said Commissioner Hadja Lahbib. “Protecting civilians and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law must remain at the core of the European Union’s humanitarian engagement. As we shape the EU’s future humanitarian policy, expert analysis and perspectives from conflict-affected contexts are indispensable to strengthening humanitarian diplomacy and preventing further civilian harm.”
The report takes a comprehensive look at widespread and growing IHL violations worldwide. It shows the devastating reality for civilians in major conflicts like Gaza and Sudan, while also shedding light on flagrant attacks against civilians in Nigeria, Myanmar, Haiti and Burkina Faso.”
It further highlights the rapid expansion of armed drone warfare across several conflict settings and concludes that conflict-related sexual violence has reached epidemic levels, including rape, sexual slavery, and violence used as punishment or a means of territorial control.
“Systematic murder, torture and rape have been wrought against those whom the law was supposed to protect on a huge scale and with rampant impunity. As violations go unanswered, restraint erodes, with consequences that extend far beyond the battlefield, accelerating escalation, weakening diplomacy, and destabilising the global order,” said Stuart Casey-Maslen, lead author of the report, at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. “Whether international humanitarian law continues to function as a real constraint on warfare, or fades into symbolism, depends entirely on political will and the choices states make now.”
The launch comes at a critical moment, as the European Commission prepares a new Communication on Humanitarian Aid, in which IHL and humanitarian diplomacy – championed by Commissioner Lahbib – are central pillars.
The discussion will explore how the findings of the War Watch report can inform EU action to promote greater compliance with IHL, protect civilians, and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access.
For Oxfam International, the report reflects the challenges that communities affected by conflict and local humanitarian partners working on the front lines must contend with on a daily basis.
“What this report documents is what we see on the ground: rising violations of international humanitarian law with devastating consequences for civilians, coupled with ongoing impunity,” said Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International. “The efforts of the Commissioner Lahbib to keeping IHL and Humanitarian Diplomacy high on the EU agenda are more important than ever. The EU and its Member States must step up their efforts to strengthen their commitment to protecting civilians, ensuring accountability, and making sure diplomatic action is consistent, principled in promoting humanitarian values, and grounded in expertise from conflict-affected countries.”
By placing the War Watch – IHL in Focus Report at the heart of the discussion, the event aims to ensure that evidence-based analysis, legal obligations, and lived experience directly inform the EU’s response to today’s conflicts.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, established in 2007, builds on the legacy of the Centre Universitaire de Droit International Humanitaire (CUDIH), as a joint initiative of the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI), today the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.
IHL in Focus is a flagship research project of the Geneva Academy providing legal analysis of harm suffered by civilians in situations of armed conflict. It examines patterns of civilian harm through the lens of international humanitarian law (IHL), with a focus on the conduct of conflict actors and their compliance with applicable legal obligations.
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Louise Orton (media consultant) at louiseorton2010@gmail.com or +44 7939141764