Article

From Cold War to hotspots : the changing needs for dissemination of international humanitarian law in Sweden

Cecilia Hellman, Kristina Lindvall

• Nordic journal of international law, Vol. 78, no. 4, 2009, p. 527-539

English

This article explores the past and current role of dissemination in Sweden of international humanitarian law (IHL) - focusing on the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Key questions are who the relevant actors in need of knowledge in IHL today are, and why dissemination still is important for Sweden, despite the end of the Cold War threat. The authors of this article argue that Sweden today lacks a thoroughly thought-out and modern approach to questions relating to dissemination, and that negligence in properly addressing and understanding the role of dissemination could lead to a weakening of Sweden's position as an adamant adherent and advocate of IHL. Today's complex world, with its diversified threats to national and international peace and security, calls for a revised and articulated position on dissemination of IHL.

• International humanitarian law : celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions / guest ed.: Rikke Ishoj... [et al.]