Table of contents : Editorial Board Editorial Contents Part I70th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions 1 Evolution of the International Humanitarian Law Provisions on Sieges 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Legality of Sieges 1.2.1 International Armed Conflicts 1.2.2 Non-International Armed Conflicts 1.3 United Nations Security Council Resolutions’ Impact on the Legal Regulation of Sieges 1.4 Concluding Remarks References 2 Towards a Better Understanding of the Concept of ‘Indiscriminate Attack’—How International Criminal Law Can Be of Assistance 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Attacking Civilians as a War Crime in International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law 2.3 Prosecutions of Attacks Against Civilians Before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court 2.3.1 International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 2.3.2 International Criminal Court 2.4 Transition from International Humanitarian Law to International Criminal Law 2.5 Final Reflections References 3 Double Trouble: The ‘Cumulative Approach’ and the ‘Support-Based Approach’ in the Relationship Between Non-State Armed Groups 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Traditional Criteria for the Determination of Whether There Is a Non-international Armed Conflict and Which Actors Are Parties to that Conflict 3.3 Cumulative Approach 3.4 The Support-Based Approach in Non-international Armed Conflicts 3.5 Conclusion References 4 The Rebel with the Magnifying Glass: Armed Non-State Actors, the Right to Life and the Requirement to Investigate in Armed Conflict 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Right to Life in Non-International Armed Conflict: Legal Frameworks and Paradigms 4.3 Finding the Perfect Balance: The Conduct of Hostilities Paradigm and the Law Enforcement Paradigm in Non-International Armed Conflicts 4.3.1 Employing Lethal Force During Non-International Armed Conflicts Under the Conduct of Hostilities Paradigm 4.3.2 Armed Non-State Actors and the Use of Lethal Force in International Humanitarian Law During Non-International Armed Conflicts 4.3.3 Influence of International Human Rights Law and the Law Enforcement Paradigm on Armed Non-State Actors in Non-International Armed Conflicts 4.4 Deceptive Narratives? Addressing Concerns on Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors, International Humanitarian Law of Non-International Armed Conflicts, and the Conduct of Hostilities Paradigmatic Framework 4.4.1 Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors Under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law 4.4.2 Equality of Parties in International Humanitarian Law and the Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors on the Protection of Life 4.4.3 Questioning the Extension of the Conduct of Hostilities Paradigm into Non-International Armed Conflict 4.5 The Requirement for Armed Non-State Actors to Investigate the Loss of Life During Non-International Armed Conflicts 4.5.1 Armed Non-State Actors and Investigating Loss of Life: The Rationale 4.5.2 Implied Obligation for Armed Non-State Actors to Investigate Loss of Life 4.5.3 The Nature of Armed Non-State Actors Investigations under International Humanitarian Law 4.6 International Human Rights Law Application in the Investigation of Loss of Life by Armed Non-State Actors 4.6.1 International Human Rights Law’s Enforcement Paradigm and the Investigation of Loss of Life 4.6.2 Fulfilling the Requirement for an Effective Investigation of the Loss of Life by Armed Non-State Actors 4.7 Conclusive Remarks References 5 A Bird’s-Eye View on Compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict 70 Years After the Adoption of the Geneva Conventions 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Stocktaking of Compliance Mechanisms 5.3 Managing Expectations 5.4 Non-International Armed Conflicts’ Blind Spots and Challenges 5.5 Repression Versus Prevention 5.6 Individualization of Compliance Mechanisms 5.7 Conclusion References 6 Not the Usual Suspects: Religious Leaders as Influencers of International Humanitarian Law Compliance 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Compliance with International Humanitarian Law: Setting the Scene 6.3 Religious Leaders: Interpreters and Influencers 6.3.1 Do Religious Leaders ‘Speak’ About International Humanitarian Law? 6.3.2 Why Might States and Non-State Armed Groups Follow Religious Leaders’ Interpretations on International Humanitarian Law? 6.4 The Humanitarian Sector: Reasons for Engagement 6.5 Conclusion: An Agenda for Further Research References Part IIOther Articles 7 Appellate Deference Versus the De Novo Analysis of Evidence: The Decision of the Appeals Chamber in Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Interpretation of Relevant Articles of the Rome Statute 7.3 Appellate Review 7.3.1 Grounds for Appellate Review Under the Rome Statute 7.3.2 The Principle of Appellate Deference 7.4 Application to the Bemba Case 7.4.1 Approach to the Evaluation of the Evidence 7.4.2 The Findings of the Trial Chamber and the Review by the Appeals Chamber 7.5 Conclusion References 8 Year in Review 2019 8.1 Ongoing Conflicts and Other Developments 8.1.1 Afghanistan 8.1.2 Central African Republic 8.1.3 Iran 8.1.4 Iraq 8.1.5 Israel/Palestine 8.1.6 Libya 8.1.7 Mali 8.1.8 Myanmar 8.1.9 Nigeria 8.1.10 Somalia 8.1.11 South Sudan 8.1.12 Sri Lanka 8.1.13 Syria 8.1.14 Ukraine 8.1.15 Yemen 8.2 Tribunals and Courts 8.2.1 International Courts 8.2.2 Hybrid Tribunals 8.2.3 National Courts 8.3 Arms Control and Disarmament 8.3.1 Arms Trade 8.3.2 Conventional Weapons 8.3.3 Non-conventional Weapons 8.3.4 Outer Space References Table of Cases INTERNATIONAL National Index