On Thursday, February 24, 2011, the Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research hosted a Live Seminar on "Accountability for Violations of IHL in Counterinsurgency: The Case of Sri Lanka." A recording of the seminar is available here.

This Live Seminar examined mechanisms and strategies to promote accountability for IHL violations committed during counterinsurgencies, focusing on the case of Sri Lanka. Against the backdrop of domestic and international efforts to address IHL violations committed during the counterinsurgency in Sri Lanka, this Live Seminar addressed the following questions:

• What aspects, if any, of counterinsurgency doctrine have the potential to affect adherence to IHL principles?
• What accountability mechanisms—judicial or otherwise—exist regarding IHL violations committed during non-international armed conflicts?
• What accountability mechanisms are currently being implemented, and what potential mechanisms are under consideration?
• What legal and political challenges arise in the context of multiple, simultaneous accountability mechanisms aimed at addressing the same counterinsurgency situation?
• What role, if any, should humanitarian actors play in promoting adherence to international norms in counterinsurgency situations?

These questions were examined by reference to the situation in Sri Lanka.

Panelists

Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker

Alan Keenan, International Crisis Group

Ambassador Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International

Background Materials

Amnesty International, "UN must investigate Sri Lanka rights violations," AI Index PRE01/156/2010, May 16, 2010.

BBC News, "Sri Lankan war inquiry commission opens amid criticism," August 11, 2010.  

Council of the European Union, "Council conclusions on Sri Lanka," 2971st External Relations Council Meeting, Luxembourg, October 27, 2009.

Ernie Regehr, "Sri Lanka and counterinsurgency wars," Disarming Conflict Blog, Centre for International Governance Innovation, June 8, 2009.

Sergei DeSilva-Ranasinghe, "Strategic Analysis of Sri Lankan Military's Counter-Insurgency Operations," Future Directions International, February 12, 2010.

Louis Charbonneau, "U.N.'s Ban names advisory panel on Sri Lanka war," Reuters, June 22, 2010.

Francoise Hampson, Leif Sevon and Roman Wieruszweski, "The Implementation of certain Human Rights Conventions in Sri Lanka: Final Report," September 30, 2009.

International Crisis Group, "War Crimes in Sri Lanka," Asia Report No. 191, May 17, 2010.

U.S. Department of State, "Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka," 2009.

U.S. Department of State, Office of War Crimes Issues, "Report to Congress on Measures Taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and International Bodies to Investigate Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Such Efforts," August 11, 2010.

Jon Lee Anderson, "Death of the Tiger: Sri Lanka's brutal victory over its Tamil insurgents," The New Yorker, January 17, 2011.