Online Course on Introduction to International Humanitarian Law 2027 by IIHL Sanremo (25 January - 22 February 2027; Apply by 18 January 2027)

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), Sanremo, Italy, has for many years provided general and specialised training in International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Its Military Department has developed this online Introduction to International Humanitarian Law course to make its training accessible to those who are unable to attend in person in Sanremo. The course runs online from 25 January to 22 February 2027, in English.

The course teaches the basic principles and rules of IHL and the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and how to apply them. It also serves as a primer for the Institute's specialised courses, giving introductory instruction on a wide range of subjects and their interplay with IHL across all levels of conflict and all operational domains.

• 25 January 2027: Course Introduction; Introduction to the Laws of Armed Conflict (LOAC)
• 27 January 2027: Conflict Classification; Means and Methods of Warfare
• 1 February 2027: Distinction; Proportionality and Precautions
• 3 February 2027: Military Objective and Military Advantage; Detention in Armed Conflict
• 8 February 2027: Targeting of Persons and Objects in Armed Conflict; Introduction to Cyber Operations and the Law
• 10 February 2027: Introduction to Law of Naval Warfare; Rules Regulating Humanitarian Relief Operations during Active Hostilities
• 15 February 2027: Investigating Violations of IHL; IHRL and the Relationship to IHL
• 17 February 2027: Command Responsibility; AI and Autonomous Weapons Systems; Article 36 Weapon Reviews
• 22 February 2027: Keynote Address (to be announced); Course Summation and Closing

Course Director: LTC Brett Warcholak, Fellow and Instructor, Military Department, IIHL. The leaflet states that the teaching staff is still to be defined.

The course combines live online lectures, group discussions and vignette (scenario-based) training, with study materials and texts on the Institute's Online Learning Platform (elearning.iihl.org). Live sessions are 120 minutes, twice a week, and participants may need some self-paced preparation outside class time.

The course page gives the duration as 4 weeks; the course leaflet says the programme runs for six weeks. The dated schedule in the leaflet runs from 25 January to 22 February 2027.

Live sessions are held from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Rome time, which is 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm IST. On 8 February and 17 February 2027 the leaflet schedules sessions until 6:00 pm Rome time (10:30 pm IST).

The official page states: "The course is designed for military personnel, both legal advisers and operators, as well as civilians working in the field and others with an interest in how international humanitarian law is applied across the broad spectrum of conflict. The course is primarily designed for those new to the practice and application of IHL but will also serve as a useful refresher for those with prior experience." The course is offered to "participants from around the world" and no nationality restriction is stated; the registration form lists Indian nationality and India as country of work.

The course is conducted in English and reasonable language proficiency is required. Simultaneous translation is not provided.

The participation quota is EUR 500. It must be remitted before the start of the course by bank transfer or, at the latest, upon arrival in cash or Euro currency cheque. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted on the website or at the Institute. The official page does not mention scholarships for this course.

The official Certificate is released to participants who attend the course in full, after the final session and completion of the course evaluation.

Fill in and submit the online Registration Form linked on the course page by 18 January 2027. The form asks for personal details, nationality, country of work, institution or organisation, current position, contact details and a CV upload. Registrations and administrative questions go to the IIHL Military Department at military.department@iihl.org.