White Paper on the Need to Strengthen International Humanitarian Law to Address the Challenges of 21st Century Warfare prepared by the participants of the Cleveland Expert Meetings, convened on September 26, October 31, November 7, and November 14, 2024

On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, thirty leading experts in the field of IHL from around the world gathered at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 26, 2024, to discuss whether there is a need to strengthen IHL to address the challenges of 21st century warfare, and how that could best be accomplished. The experts participated in three follow-up meetings over Zoom on October 31, November 7, and November 14, 2024. The participating experts are listed at the end of this document. The experts participated in their personal capacity; the views expressed in this White Paper do not necessarily reflect those of their university, firm, agency, or organization. Further, the Chatham House Rule governed the sessions, and this White Paper summarizes the substance of the discussion but does not indicate the specific position taken by any of the participants.