Ukraine

Thematic areas: Humanitarian Norms – Child Protection & Education – Forced Displacement – Healthcare – Antipersonnel Mines – Sexual Violence & Gender Discrimination – Cultural Heritage

Geneva Call has been active in Ukraine since 2018 with scaled up operations since the beginning of the full-scale conflict in February 2022, resulting in an international armed conflict.

Since then, violent hostilities persist, with over 2 million combatants having been involved on both sides, and hundreds of thousands of combatant and civilian casualties. The conflict is also marked by widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure such as power plants, schools, residential buildings, and hospitals.

An unusual feature of the conflict is the inclusion of a considerable number of foreign, non-traditional, or volunteer fighters that have joined or allied themselves in some capacity to parties to the conflict.

Geneva Call’s analyses have demonstrated that combatants’ knowledge of the rules of war — their rights and obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) — varies widely, reflecting their different backgrounds and the rapid mobilization of civilian populations into the military.

It is imperative to fill those knowledge gaps, so that civilians — along with the places they live in and the humanitarian aid they desperately need — are protected as well as possible.

The focus of our efforts adheres to strict selection criteria but focuses primarily on battalions and units of combatants which have been recently integrated into armed forces. This work aims to reduce a potential to commit IHL and IHRL violations. It does not include investigations of — or reporting — potential or alleged violations.

It is a preventive and complementary approach, one that responds to the urgent needs of national and local authorities that are not being fully met in any other way, and which is underpinned by Geneva Call’s mandate.

Geneva Call’s activities in Ukraine

• Engaging all sides

Since 2018 Geneva Call has engaged in Ukraine with combatants and civil society to establish dialogue, raise awareness of the need to protect civilians, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.

Our actions follow the humanitarian principle of neutrality that underpins our core mission.

• Increasing knowledge

Already, we have facilitated approximately 200 awareness sessions for over 4500 combatants to raise their awareness about our activities and their basic knowledge of the rights and obligations afforded to combatants and civilians under IHL provisions. In adherence to Geneva Call’s mandate and its selection criteria in Ukraine, Geneva Call prioritizes active frontline units or are about to be deployed to the frontline, and corps who have never been exposed to humanitarian norms, and, as a result, have limited knowledge of their rights and obligations.

Our training programs are uniquely tailored to the realities of frontline combat. We leverage the expertise of current and former military personnel, including seasoned veterans, who understand the challenges faced by soldiers in active combat zones.

This approach allows us to translate complex legal frameworks into simple, actionable guidance that can be realistically applied under extreme conditions. Through this focused training, we ensure that the principles of IHL are both understood and integrated into daily operations, safeguarding civilian lives and reinforcing the rule of law.

• Supporting humanitarian aid

In Ukraine there has been a blurring of the civilian and humanitarian lines. Those who respond to the needs and combatants are often working side by side. All local and international organizations, responding to the needs, are operating in an environment which calls for a minimum basic familiarity with humanitarian norms. We conduct rapid field training sessions so aid workers also can promote civilian protection when engaging with combatants.

• Extending outreach

We lead workshops on humanitarian norms for local communities along the front lines and for local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). We further engage civilian groups directly through awareness sessions and indirectly through mass media campaigns. Our intent is to equip them with the ability to promote safety for civilians and aid workers.

• Extending Legal expertise

We enhance our legal expertise on IHL norms and principles adoption at the legislative level of duty-bearing institutions by participation in select legal and policy processes in coordination with other relevant national and international stakeholders. This approach contributes to the sustainability of Geneva Call’s interventions through the increased capacity of such institutions to ensure IHL adherence. Geneva Call also provides insights about its traditional tools, including Deeds of Commitment and Universal Declarations, should the context or any of its actors evolve to necessitate the further consideration of such tools.

• Implementing evidence-based approach

Geneva Call delivers its programming in Ukraine through an evidence-based approach informed by a strategic mix of dedicated research projects complemented by ongoing, anonymized surveys of combatants’ behaviors through pre- and post-training knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) surveys. Due to the sensitive nature of the data and analyses, Geneva Call does not publish its research as a standard practice.

• Focusing on digital education for combatants

Geneva Call disseminates the norms and principles of IHL through highly contextualized printed and digitized awareness raising materials and behavioral change campaigns. These materials explain the standards of behavior of combatants in an armed conflict and how compliance with the rules of war contributes to the protection and safety of the civilian population.

The tone of materials seeks to encourage good behavior as opposed to condemnation and utilizes prominent personalities in the context to convey such messages. Exemplifying this approach is Geneva Call’s educational project “Code of Warriors of Light” launched in 2023. The project unpacks key details regarding the norms of the law of armed conflict (LOAC) and conveys the standards of conduct for combatants to better ensure IHL adherence and the protection of civilians amid armed conflict.

YouTube        Facebook       Instagram        TikTok

In 2024 the campaign evolved into the LOAC Learning Platform and complementary web-application – profound online tools rooted in Geneva Call’s research and subsequently designed to equip combatants with an in-depth understanding of IHL framed through the more military-aligned and recognized terminology of LOAC. The content of the platform is focused on explaining the LOAC norms and principles through a gamified, practical, and contextualized approach, informed by our teams with mixed legal and military backgrounds, helping to improve understanding of key concepts and their practical application on the battlefield.

KEY DATA

SCALING UP AND EXPANDING geographical outreach and activities closer to frontline hostilities.

IHL TRAINING EVENTS HELD for  FOREIGN FIGHTERS, TERRITORIAL DEFENSE UNITS, AND OTHERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENEVA CALL’S MANDATE AND SELECTION CRITERIA.

ADVOCATING AND EXTENDING LEGAL EXPERTISE TO DUTY-BEARING INSTITUTIONS in cooperation with other national and international actors.

DIRECT ENGAGEMENT AND SIGNING of a Unilateral Declaration on Humanitarian Assistance with the Georgian National Legion.

PARTNERING WITH UKRAINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY on innovative campaign and education activities to better ensure the sustainability of Geneva Call’s interventions.

Combatants’ trainings held: 150+

Civilian trainings held: 40+

Combatants reached: 4500 +

Awareness raising materials disseminated: 135 000+

People reached by communication campaigns:  80 million +

Communication campaigns held: 4

Digital learning tools developed: 4