Year in Review 2017

Abstract

The year 2017 was marked by several noteworthy events with particular relevance to international humanitarian law. In the Middle East, especially noticeable were the continuation of the conflict in Syria with significant impact on civilians, the liberation from the Islamic State of many parts of Iraq accompanied by human rights abuses, and the use of a naval blockade in Yemen leading to a cholera epidemic and a near-famine situation. In addition, the disarmament in Colombia, the escalation of Myanmar's clearance operation in the northern state of Rakhine, the prolonged civil war and famine in South Sudan, and the continuation of terrorist attacks that resulted in large civilian death tolls, especially in Somalia and Egypt, characterised the past year. Several key decisions were rendered by international, hybrid, and national courts relating to the investigation and adjudication of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. This includes judgement in the Mladic case at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), whereupon the Tribunal closed, the opening of investigation into the situation in Burundi at the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the request for authorisation to open an investigation into the situation in Afghanistan at the ICC. This chapter addresses a number of these issues amongst other events of note, with, for example, the publication of Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations and the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Year in Review is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of all events that occurred in 2017, but rather a sampling of events of note with particular relevance to international humanitarian law.