Oman: Team Palestine wins Fourth Regional Arabic Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law

Team Iraq took second place.

Teams of three students, accompanied by a coach, represented universities from Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and Libya. They argued a fictional armed-conflict case before a mock international criminal court, taking turns as prosecution and defence before panels of academics and judges. The case explored how IHL applies to new technologies of warfare and attacks affecting essential infrastructure, including energy and electricity grids, with a focus on distinction and proportionality.

International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not, or are no longer, participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.

"The message of the ICRC remains clear: international humanitarian law must be respected universally, impartially and consistently," said Anne Montavon, head of the ICRC regional delegation for the GCC, at the opening of the competition. "The scale of suffering we witness must not lead us to accept violations as inevitable or conclude that the law has lost its relevance."

Dr Saleh bin Hamad Al-Barashdi, member of the Omani National Committee on IHL and associate professor of law at Sultan Qaboos University, described moot courts as an effective bridge between legal theory and practice, and called on Arab universities to give IHL a stronger place in their curricula.

Speaking to the students, Dr Omar Mekky, ICRC regional legal adviser, said: “Today, you are studying the rules applicable in armed conflict. Tomorrow, you may be advising military commanders, representing your countries in diplomatic negotiations, drafting legislation, hearing cases or teaching the next generation. This is why we value our partnership with Arab universities and national IHL committees in preparing a generation of lawyers committed to promoting and implementing this law.”

Oman hosted the regional competition for the second time, following the 2022 edition in Muscat. Since 2016, the ICRC has supported national moot court competitions across Arab countries, with regional editions held in Cairo in 2017, Beirut in 2019 and Muscat in 2022.

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