About
Taking international law seriously
This website distills the key research findings from a 2021 legal briefing published by the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict and authored by Dustin A. Lewis and Naz K. Modirzadeh.
Go deeper into the issues
Read the full briefing, with citations, on which this website is based over at the HLS PILAC website.
Explore other dimensions
For over a decade, HLS PILAC analysts have examined a variety of issues concerning intersections between humanitarian action and counterterrorism measures, from medical ethics to empirical studies to security bodies evaluating IHL compliance.
“By implicitly recognizing that measures adopted to achieve one policy objective (countering terrorism) can impair or prevent another policy objective (safeguarding humanitarian and medical activities), the Security Council elevated taking into account the potential effects of certain counterterrorism measures on exclusively humanitarian activities to an issue implicating international peace and security.”
— Dustin A. Lewis and Naz K. Modirzadeh, HLS PILAC, 2021
Disclaimer
HLS PILAC receives generous support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The views expressed on this website should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the Swiss FDFA. HLS PILAC is grateful for the support that the Swiss FDFA provides for independent research and analysis. The views and opinions reflected on this website are those solely of the authors, and the authors alone are responsible for any errors.
