On August 7, 2024, Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, in cooperation with International Consultations Group for Training and Law, organized the second training workshop titled "Principles and Rules of International Humanitarian Law and Documenting Human Rights Violations." The event, held at the headquarters of ICG, was attended by over 30 university students and graduates from various governorates. The training aimed to provide participants with a strong understanding of the nature, sources, and rules of international humanitarian law, as well as techniques for documenting serious violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes during armed conflicts.

During the opening session, Abdalrahman Pasha, Director of Programs and Projects at Maat, discussed the essence of international humanitarian law, its definition, and the history of its codification. Pasha further explained the distinction between international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Baka Radwan, Director of ICG, emphasized that this collaboration between Maat and ICG paves the way for the dissemination of the rules and principles of international humanitarian law, highlighting the urgent need to spread the culture of international humanitarian law and international human rights law among youth from different backgrounds.

Mohamed Mokhtar, Director of International Humanitarian Law Unit at Maat, presented the sources of international humanitarian law, including the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which criminalize the targeting of civilians and civilian objects during armed conflicts, as well as agreements and treaties regulating the use and exploitation of various means of warfare, customs, general principles of law, judicial precedents, and legal doctrines.

Mr. Hossam El-Din Allam, IHL expert, addressed the legal differences between international and non-international armed conflicts, the principles governing the means and methods of warfare, and the scope of application of international humanitarian law, including protected objects and persons. Allam also discussed the mechanisms for applying international humanitarian law and the case of genocide against the Palestinian people.

The workshop comes at a critical moment, as many parties to armed conflicts often ignore the rules of international humanitarian law, leading to the commission of serious violations, some of which are considered crimes of genocide under Rome Statute.