Armed Conflict Cybersecurity & Tech Foreign Relations & International Law

Lawfare Daily: The State of IHL

Loren Voss, Stuart Casey-Maslen, Jen Patja
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 7:00 AM
What are the current threats to international humanitarian law compliance?
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Loren Voss, Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, sits down with Stuart Casey-Maslen, the head of the IHL in Focus project at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. They discuss the Geneva Academy's “IHL in Focus Report” covering all the major armed conflicts around the world, the role of new technology such as drones, the threats to IHL compliance and accountability, and the possibility of new treaty rules.

Casey-Maslen describes the 20+ year degradation of IHL and trends across conflicts, particularly regarding the use of advanced technology. He laments that while technology allows for the possibility of more precise targeting of valid targets, the realities on the ground don't always reflect that. Voss and Casey-Maslen discuss challenges to enforcement and accountability, but Casey-Maslen remains optimistic that protection of civilians in armed conflict can get better in the future.

 

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Armed Conflict Cybersecurity & Tech Foreign Relations & International Law
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Loren Voss

Loren Voss

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Loren Voss most recently served as Director for Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council. She chairs the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict at the American Society of International Law and previously served as a Senior Advisor for the Department of Defense and taught classes on domestic deployment of the military and disinformation at GW Law. Loren previously served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force.
Stuart Casey-Maslen

Stuart Casey-Maslen

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Stuart Casey-Maslen is a Special Advisor to the IHL in Focus Project at the Geneva Academy. He is Visiting Professor of International Law at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. He focuses in his work on the use of force and the protection of civilians. In addition to international humanitarian law, he researches and teaches international human rights law, disarmament law, jus ad bellum, and international criminal law. He holds a doctorate in international humanitarian law and master’s degrees in international human rights law and forensic ballistics.
Jen Patja

Jen Patja

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Jen Patja is the editor of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security, and serves as Lawfare’s Director of Audience Engagement. Previously, she was Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics and Deputy Director of the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier, where she worked to deepen public understanding of constitutional democracy and inspire meaningful civic participation.
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