The 33^rd edition of the South Asia Teaching Session (SATS) on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) will be held in Kathmandu 25 February – 2 March 2019.

Nepal’s Honourable Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal is set to inaugurate the event tomorrow 24 February 2019, which is being organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission in Kathmandu.

Over 40 participants including government officials, military and police personnel, members of academia and human rights and civil society organisations from eight South Asian nations Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and Iran would attend the six-days course, that would see the academics and thematic experts deliver lectures on pertinent topics like Protection of Civilians, Children, Cultural Property during Armed Conflict. Means & Methods of Warfare; and IHL in relations with the Human Rights Law, Refugee law and Transitional Justice, and IHL and Peacekeeping will also be covered. In addition to the lectures and presentations, the sessions will also see panel discussion, case studies and group works.

“SATS is a platform enabling participants to enhance their knowledge of IHL and share perspectives according to their field of expertise, as civil servants, academics or members of security services,” André Paquet, Head of ICRC Mission in Nepal said. “It also allows experts to discuss contemporary challenges to IHL.”

First held in 1999, SATS is a biannual event and has taken place in Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Nepal has hosted SATS in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2018. The ICRC in Kathmandu partners with the Kathmandu School of Law to organise the event.

Follow the latest updates on Twitter @ICRC_nd