Dr. Sultan Barakat Joins Pioneering International Humanitarian Law Platform

The College of Public Policy’s (CPP) Dr. Sultan Barakat is among a group of eminent scholars and practitioners behind a new global platform dedicated to monitoring compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Launched by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Lund University, the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Monitoring Database (ICMD) will provide real-time collection, aggregation, and analysis of data on alleged violations of IHL by armed actors in conflict zones worldwide. Harnessing cutting-edge technologies and machine learning, the ICMD aims to transform raw data into actionable insights, producing high-quality reports that enhance accountability and transparency. 

Besides Dr. Sultan, the ICMD Expert Reference Group includes Mariana Salazar Albornoz, Professor of International Law, International Humanitarian Law, and International Criminal Law, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; Elisabet Fura, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, and a former judge at the European Court of Human Rights; Peter Lundberg, Executive Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; and Stephen J. Rapp, former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (2009-2015). 

“The need for an initiative like the ICMD has never been greater,” remarked Dr. Sultan. “As things stand, there are well over 100 conflicts happening around the world where, in most instances, the rules of IHL are disregarded. This must change, and everyone involved in this project is determined to make this happen.”

Further information regarding the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Monitoring Database can be found at https://icmd.se/ and in this article written by Expert Reference Group members.