The 21st Century Conflicts: Understanding the Changing Nature and Character of War

The nature of conflict has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Conflicts between States have become the exception rather than the rule. On the other hand, we increasingly witness acute crises and hybrid conflict characterized by internal strife, sometimes in the context of failed or dysfunctional States; or violent separatism, in some cases accompanied by quasi-military operations affecting the civilian population. The law of war or international (humanitarian) law, i.e. theGeneva and Hague Conventions, is a branch of public international law that sets the acceptable justifications to engage in war (ius ad bellum) and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct (ius in bello). Some principles of customary law became peremptorynorms of jus cogens, a "formal" source of internationallaw that apply erga omnes. Any existing treaty which isin conflict with these norms becomes void and terminates.Lecture held on 6 November 2021 at the Diploma Studies Certificate in Global Affairs and Diplomacy, Centre for Security Studies at the University o Buckingham (BUCSIS) and National Security Faculty of the War Studies University (WSU