The Geneva Conventions are the central legal source of international humanitarian law and enjoy global validity through their worldwide recognition. Much time has passed since the creation of the Geneva Conventions and the drafting of the Commentaries to the Conventions by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the world is no longer as it was then. Consequently, the International Committee of the Red Cross has set itself the goal of revising the Commentaries to the Geneva Conventions. The central topic and the concrete work assignment for the participants of the workshop was therefore to take a closer look at a specific article of the 4th Geneva Convention and to develop ideas and approaches for the concrete design of a new commentary.
As a member of the Drafting Committee of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Judge Prof. Dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad was able to give very detailed impressions of the process of drafting commentaries. After some theoretical explanations, it was time for the participants to slip into the role of a member of the editorial board themselves. In groups, one article each was analysed and solutions were worked on, which were then presented. The participants first had to take a look at the convention and its "old" commentary, and then analyse the current situation in comparison to that time. All this was done against the background that the International Committee of the Red Cross can only interpret the relevant article and not aim at a legal change. The participants had to be very sensitive in order not to risk a reduction of the protection provided by the Geneva Conventions through too excessive an interpretation. It was these insights, among others, that contributed to an extremely instructive experience for the participants of the workshop.
After the lunch break, a "Lazy Lecture" by Judge Prof. Dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad followed, in which the speaker reported in a relaxed atmosphere on her work as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. In addition to exciting insights into the everyday life and career of a judge, the participants were also presented with amusing anecdotes and stories related to working at an international court.
The Institute of International Law and International Relations would like to thank all participants and the speaker for the interesting discussions and the professional exchange and looks forward to seeing all of the involved participants soon.