Army and International Law

(To Application School EI)
29/03/19

In the period from 25 to 29 March 2019 a team of three officers attending the Army Army Training Command and Application School participated in the 18 ^ International Humanitarian Law competition, reserved for Military Training Institutes.

The kermesse organized by the Military Department of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) of Sanremo, saw the participation of the 196 course officers, together with colleagues from more than fifteen countries and from several prestigious Military Academies around the world. Among these were West Point (USA), Sandhurst (Great Britain), Saint Cyr (France), Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand for a total of 28 teams.

Carefully evaluated by international judges from France, Ireland, Italy, Malawi, Holland, the United States, South Africa and Switzerland, representatives of the Italian Army have faced, in a crisis scenario, a series of events in which it was necessary to demonstrate the knowledge of the legal bases of armed conflict law and its practical application.

The teams worked in a multinational and inter-force context, descending for a week as legal advisors and experts in international humanitarian law. In their respective roles they have faced complex geopolitical and social problems such as the use of child soldiers, the concepts of proportionality, military necessity, ethics, morality and humanity. In particular, the team of Lieutenant Alessia Rotondo was the first of the competition.

The excellent result achieved is the result of the competence, passion and will of our officers, of the preparation provided by the university and military lessons carried out in their training process, which will lead them to obtain a master's degree in strategic sciences.

The knowledge of International Humanitarian Law is essential for future Army leaders, who will have to contribute to the pursuit of military objectives in complex, critical and international scenarios, in which the law and morals mark the divide between good and evil, between the success and failure of the assigned mission.