Spreading international humanitarian law

The Frits Kalshoven Competition is entering its 19th edition in 2026 and is again organized by Belgian Red Cross-Flanders in cooperation with the Dutch Red Cross. This moot court competition on international humanitarian law is open to law students.

The purpose of this competition is to familiarize students with international humanitarian law by offering lectures and to fuel their oral and argumentative competencies through role-playing and an advocacy competition.

The competition will take place on February 25, 26, and 27, 2026, in The Hague, Netherlands. It is open to teams of three, and the working language is English.

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View a compilation of previous editions

From April 21 through May 19, 2026, we will be hosting the 28th edition of our lecture series on international humanitarian law (IHL). Over the course of five weeks, we will explore the core themes of international humanitarian law on Tuesday evenings.

The lesson series begins with an introductory presentation on the sources, scope and actors of IHL. Subsequent lessons further explore the protection of persons and property, the rules regarding weapons and methods of warfare, and the punishment of violations of IHL. We conclude the series with a lesson on a current topic. Each lesson focuses on concrete examples and interaction.

For each session, we will be joined by experts, academics, or professionals actively involved in the practical application of the IHR. Afterward, we count on the active participation of the attendees to facilitate a Q&A session. The detailed program is provided below.

Certificates and approvals

• Participation Certificate: All participants will receive a certificate of participation based on their attendance which will be recorded by the organization team.
• Accreditation by the Flemish Bar Association: confirmed.
• Accreditation by the Institute for Judicial Training: confirmed.

The Institute for Judicial Training will cover the registration fees—25 euros per person per session, or 120 euros per person for the entire course series—for judges, judicial trainees, and judicial staff for the aforementioned training program from its budget, provided that they are actually present at the training. For those who register but do not actually attend or do not actually follow the livestream, the Institute for Judicial Training will not cover any costs. However, substitution by a colleague is permitted; the substitute must then sign next to the name of the colleague being substituted, stating their name and position. 

When

Every Tuesday evening from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM from April 21 through May 19, 2026.

Where

The first four classes will be held online. The final class will be held in person at a location to be determined near Brussels-Central Station.

Price

The price for the entire course is 120 euros.
For a single lesson you pay 25 euros.

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Program

• Lesson 1: Introduction to IHL - April 21, 2026
  Tycho De Vriendt, Staff Member, International Humanitarian Law

This general presentation provides an introduction to IHL. After a brief description of the genesis of IHL, the scope, the actors involved and the basic rules of this branch of law are discussed. Furthermore, it looks at how human rights and IHL relate to each other. All this is illustrated through recent examples.

• Lesson 2: Protection of Persons and Property under the IHL – April 28, 2026
  Jean-Marie Henckaerts, Legal Advisor at the ICRC and Head of the unit responsible for updating the ICRC’s commentaries on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols

In this lesson, we take a closer look at the protection of persons and property in situations of armed conflict. What does IHL say about the protection of civilian populations, persons on the run, aid workers, and prisoners? How are civilian infrastructure, nuclear power plants, and cultural patrimony protected? We illustrate an overview of the main rules of IHL with the help of some current situations. Finally, we also consider the role the Red Cross assumes on protection. 

• Lesson 3: The Means and Methods of Warfare – May 5, 2026
  Ministry of Defense Karel Peeters, Legal Advisor for the Operational Law Section of the Ministry of Defense’s Legal Service 

IHL contains provisions regarding the means and methods of warfare. In any armed conflict, there are limits to what means and methods that may be used by the warring parties. During this class we will go over the applicable rules and principles governing these. It looks at how these obligations are put into practice during the planning and execution phase of contemporary military operations. All this will be based on practical examples from contemporary conflicts.

• Lecture 4: Punishment for Violations of International Humanitarian Law – May 12, 2026
  Steven Dewulf, Professor of International Law (KMS) and International Criminal Law (UA)

What about compliance and punishment for IHL violations? This is a common question. In this session, we will explore this further through a brief analysis of relevant treaties such as the Geneva Conventions. These, for example, oblige States Parties to identify and punish perpetrators in cases of grave violations of IHL. The responsibility and monitoring of this compliance is a shared responsibility between nation states and its courts and tribunals and international bodies and courts. Here, the Belgian framework of punishment for violations of IHL will be highlighted, as well as the international landscape. This interaction between international and national bodies will also be explored in more detail. 

• Lesson 5: Naval Warfare – May 19, 2026
  Frederik Rogiers, PhD researcher and assistant at Ghent University

The sea may have been a strategic theater of conflict for centuries, but today its importance is greater than ever. Maritime routes are the lifelines of the global economy, the internet cannot function without undersea cables, and the seas themselves are crucial for energy supply and food security. Armed conflicts at sea pose not only military but also humanitarian challenges. This final lecture examines international humanitarian law (IHL) at sea, how civilian and military objects can be distinguished, what protections ships and persons at sea enjoy, and when these protections lapse. This also requires an understanding of the territorial scope of application and the relationship with applicable international law of the sea. We will discuss historical treaties, such as those of The Hague and Geneva, as well as modern codifications of customary law, such as the San Remo Manual and the Newport Manual. We will also examine means and methods of warfare at sea, ranging from mines and submarines to autonomous weapon systems. The lecture is illustrated with current examples such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the Black Sea, the attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the detention of the Summud Flotilla, and U.S. operations against drug shipments in the Caribbean Sea. In addition, we will examine threats to undersea cables, pipelines, and wind farms. Overall, this session aims to provide insight into how (international humanitarian) law is adapting to an increasingly complex maritime theater of operations and what challenges this poses for the protection of people and infrastructure.


For more information: humanitair.recht@rodekruis.be