Marco Roscini, Professor of International Law at the Westminster Law School, has been appointed by the Italian Ministry of Defence as a member of the committee which will be responsible for drafting the rules that will guide the country’s armed forces in their operations.
The working group has been set up by the Ministry of Defence to draft the military manual of international law applicable to military operations, that is, a set of rules that will guide the Italian armed forces when conducting military operations.
Professor Roscini's role is to contribute to the drafting of Chapter 5 which will focus on targeting and Chapter 17 which will look at cyber operations, as well as to review and discuss other chapters of the manual. The working group includes academics, military legal advisors, the Italian Red Cross, and other relevant experts.
The previous version of the Italian manual for the armed forces dates back to 1991, so there is seen to be a pressing need for an updated version in light of the emergence of new technologies in warfare and the practice in recent conflicts.
Speaking about his appointment, Professor Roscini said: “This is a very important endeavour. The military manual will guide the Italian armed forces in their conduct of military operations, both in armed conflict and peacetime, and will enhance their understanding and application of international law.”
Find out more about Law courses at the University of Westminster.
Read about Professor Roscini’s role in recently organising an expert meeting on cyber warfare and international humanitarian law in Geneva.
Find out more about Professor Roscini’s book Cyber Operations and the Use of Force in International Law on Oxford University Press’ website.
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