Publication

This publication contends that the United Nation’s counterterrorism architecture does not sufficiently account for its impact on international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations. This has caused counterterrorism measures to have an increasingly adverse impact on the provision of medical care and impartial humanitarian action in armed conflict settings. This paper analyzes how the UN and its member states can uphold their obligations under IHL in their counterterrorism policies. It also provides recommendations for counterterrorism actors on how to ensure that their policies do not have a negative impact on the civilian populations IHL seeks to protect.