Polycrisis and international humanitarian law: the environment in times of armed conflict
As part of the 5th edition of the Rendez-vous Gérin-Lajoie
(source: ICRC, Marko Kokik)Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Room R-3570, UQAM
Cost: free
Agenda: To be determined
This conference is in French only.
The Canadian Red Cross and the Institut d’études internationals de Montréal (IEIM) are pleased to invite you to participate in the 2025 Quebec Conference on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), entitled "Polycrisis and International Humanitarian Law: The Environment in Armed Conflict".We are facing a global environment marked by the convergence and interdependence of multiple crises: armed conflicts, natural disasters amplified by climate change, food insecurity and ecosystem collapse. These polycrises are part of a highly unstable global governance marked by the weakening of certain key players in international cooperation. This context exacerbates the vulnerabilities of the most at-risk populations, who bear the brunt of the consequences of this growing instability.
Modern conflicts have impacts far beyond human or material losses: the types of weapons used have long-lasting and disproportionate impacts on the environment, threatening biodiversity, contaminating soil and water resources, and worsening the living conditions of civilian populations. In many countries, war zones are also the first to be hit by natural disasters, creating a spiral of intersecting insecurities.
The recognition of the interconnectedness between humanitarian and environmental crises raises pressing questions for international humanitarian law: how to protect the environment in times of armed conflict? How can international legal norms adapt to better respond to the multidimensional nature of today's crises?
This event, designed for university students, legal professionals, humanitarian workers and academic staff, will address the complexities of modern conflict to give you a better understanding of the pressing issues of international humanitarian law (IHL), which can be defined as the rules of international law that limit the use of violence in armed conflict for humanitarian reasons.
The event will take place at the Université du Québec à Montréal (room R-3570) and will also be broadcast online. This free public conference on IHL is part of the program of the fifth edition of the Rendez-vous Gérin-Lajoie and will be followed by a light cocktail.