Introduction

Many of the key sources of international humanitarian law (IHL), such as the Geneva Conventions and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), were written and adopted in a vastly different technological and political landscape from today. As emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and cyber capabilities reshape the character of warfare, IHL faces new challenges in ensuring compliance and accountability. In this seminar, we aim to explore how the interpretation and application of IHL by States have evolved in response to advancements in military technologies. We hope to examine how existing legal frameworks are being adapted to address these developments, highlighting key principles, gaps, and areas of contention. We will also discuss the multilateral efforts that have been taking place to discuss the international governance of such technologies, and the challenges that arise when discussions on different technologies take place in silos. Overall, this seminar should aim to foster a deeper understanding of the interplay between technological innovation and legal norms, particularly in the field of IHL.

About the Speaker

Liivoja is a Professor and Deputy Dean (Research) at the University of Queensland Law School. He also holds the title of Adjunct Professor of International Law at the University of Helsinki, where he is affiliated with the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights.

Rain's research focuses on the legal challenges associated with military applications of science and technology. His broader research and teaching interest include general international law, the law of armed conflict and human rights law. He is the author of Criminal Jurisdiction over Armed Forces Abroad (Cambridge University Press 2017), and a co-editor of several books, including Autonomous Cyber Capabilities under International Law (NATO CCDCOE 2021) and the Routledge Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict (Routledge 2016).

Rain is a Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Law and Security, and the General Editor of its Information Portal on the Legal Review of Weapons. Rain is also Vice President (Australia) of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law, and Deputy Chair of the Queensland Division Council of the Australian Red Cross.

Before joining the University of Queensland, Rain held academic appointments at the Universities of Melbourne, Helsinki and Tartu. He has been a Visiting Legal Fellow at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a Senior Fellow with the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has also been a visiting scholar at Georgetown University, the University of Oxford and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, as well as a visiting lecturer at the Estonian Military Academy and the Riga Graduate School of Law.

Rain holds an undergraduate degree in law from the University of Tartu, and a masters and a doctorate in public international law from the University of Helsinki. He completed a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching at the University of Melbourne. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.