The Crimes of War Education Project is a collaboration of journalists, lawyers and scholars dedicated to raising public awareness of the laws of war and their application to situations of armed conflict. Our goal is to promote understanding of international humanitarian law among journalists, policymakers, and the general public, in the belief that a wider knowledge of the legal framework governing armed conflict will lead to greater pressure to prevent breaches of the law, and to punish those who commit them.
Since 1945, a far-reaching body of law – whose centerpiece is the Geneva Conventions of 1949 – has developed to regulate conflict between and within states. In recent years there have been significant developments in the legal mechanisms through which these laws can be enforced. At the same time, changes in international politics have provided, and will continue to provide, challenges to the existing system of international law, provoking debate about whether the law should evolve further to meet new threats to international order.
The Crimes of War Education Project was established in 1999. We are a private, non-profit corporation, and our educational and awareness programs in international humanitarian law and the laws of war are funded through philanthropic organizations and individual donors. The links above provide further information about the material available on this site, other CWEP programs, and our supporters, directors and staff.
