Teaching and Research of International Humanitarian Law in Asia: Efforts,Issues and Prospects

In the twenty-first century, new research-prone areas have emerged in legal education which were previously unknown to the legal fraternity. One such area is International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). This can best be described as that branch of International Human Rights Law which deals with provisions for humanitarian relief and humane treatment of victims of war and is applicable only during war or armed conflicts. The study and research of IHL has become imperative due to the rise in the number of armed conflicts in the twenty-first century concentrated mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia and the subsequent desire of the international community to reduce that number. Against this background discussion, this article gives a brief account of the academic efforts taking place across the globe to make this subject an integral part of law school curriculum. The article starts with a description as to how IHL was first accepted as a part of any standard courses in law particularly in the West. Further, the efforts undertaken in Asia are analyzed followed by the reasons as to why IHL has still not gained acceptance as a full-fledged course in Asia. Finally, the article ends with recommendations regarding what the Asian legal fraternity needs to do to increase awareness about IHL and to make it a mandatory teaching module in all Asian law schools.