Moscow: 100 commanders attend biggest seminar in the world on rules of war

From 7 to 12 October 2019, 100 high-ranking officers, from over 70 countries, came together in Moscow, Russia, to participate in the biggest seminar in the world on rules of war. Called the Senior Workshop on International Rules governing Military Operations (SWIRMO), it was developed by the ICRC, in 2007, as part of its programme on relations with arms carriers. The workshop supports the efforts of armed forces to respect their legal obligations regarding compliance with and promotion of the law of armed conflict.

SWIRMO is organized by the ICRC along with the armed forces of a different country every year. This time the workshop was supported by the Russian Federation. The course opened with an introduction by General Alexander Fomin, Russia's deputy minister of defence, and Helen Durham, the ICRC director for International Law and Policy. During the course of the workshop, the participants interacted with Peter Maurer, the ICRC president, discussing the recent challenges to military operations, international humanitarian law and humanitarian action, among other things.