Where is the ICHRANSA conference being held?

The ICHRANSA conference is scheduled to take place in Doha, QAT.

What is the primary focus of the conference?

The conference's primary focus is on the complex relationship between human rights and armed non-state actors, aiming to discuss challenges and opportunities in upholding human rights in such contexts.

What kind of event is ICHRANSA?

ICHRANSA is an international conference, bringing together academics, policymakers, and practitioners.

International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Non-State Actors (ICHRANSA)

Name: International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Non-State Actors (ICHRANSA)
Start: 2026-09-02T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-09-03T00:00:00Z
Location: Doha

Sep 2–3, 2026Doha, QatarIn-person

Starts in 25 daysRegistration open

The International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Non-State Actors (ICHRANSA) convenes in Doha, QAT, to address the complex and evolving relationship between human rights principles and the actions of armed non-state actors (ANSAs). This event provides a crucial platform for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the challenges and opportunities in upholding human rights in contexts where ANSAs operate. The conference aims to foster a deeper understanding of the legal, ethical, and practical dimensions of engaging with these groups, ultimately contributing to more effective strategies for human rights protection.

Committees & topics

Topics
Human Rights Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors · Conflict Resolution and Engagement with Armed Non-State Actors · Violence Against Civilians in Contemporary Armed Conflict

Why it matters

The proliferation and increasing influence of armed non-state actors globally present significant challenges to the international human rights framework. From insurgent groups to liberation movements, these actors often control territory, provide governance, and exert considerable power over civilian populations, yet their accountability under international human rights law remains a subject of intense debate. This conference is vital because it directly confronts these ambiguities, seeking to clarify the obligations and responsibilities of ANSAs and the states that interact with them.

Understanding how to navigate these complex relationships is paramount for international stability and human security. The discussions at ICHRANSA will contribute to developing more nuanced approaches to conflict resolution, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding efforts in regions affected by the presence of ANSAs. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the conference facilitates the exchange of knowledge and the development of innovative solutions to protect vulnerable populations and promote respect for human rights in some of the world's most challenging environments.

How to prepare

Participants preparing for ICHRANSA should focus on developing a robust understanding of international human rights law as it applies to non-state actors. This includes familiarity with the nuances of attribution of responsibility and the various legal frameworks that may apply to different types of ANSAs. Given the conference's focus, it would be beneficial to review case studies involving ANSAs in various geopolitical contexts, such as those in AFG, YEM, or COL, to understand the practical challenges and successes in human rights engagement.

Furthermore, a strong grasp of the political and social dynamics that give rise to and sustain armed non-state actors is essential. Our lesson on "Dynamic Analysis" offers valuable perspectives on understanding complex situations. Familiarity with the diverse motivations, organizational structures, and operational methods of different ANSAs will enable more informed contributions to discussions on accountability, engagement, and protection strategies. Considering the varied roles ANSAs play, from providing essential services to perpetrating abuses, a comprehensive understanding of their multifaceted nature is key.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Qatar

As the host nation, QAT facilitates dialogue on human rights and non-state actors, positioning itself as a neutral ground for critical discussions.

Role in topic

QAT provides the venue for the conference in Doha, underscoring its role in fostering international dialogue on complex issues, including those related to human rights and armed non-state actors. Its diplomatic efforts often involve mediating in regional conflicts where such actors are prominent.

Switzerland

CHE advocates for the consistent application of international humanitarian law and human rights law to all parties in conflict, including ANSAs.

Role in topic

CHE, through its long-standing tradition of neutrality and humanitarian diplomacy, often plays a leading role in initiatives aimed at clarifying the obligations of armed non-state actors under international law. Its expertise in international humanitarian law is highly relevant to the conference's themes.

United States

USA emphasizes state responsibility for human rights while also engaging with ANSAs when strategic interests align, often with a focus on counter-terrorism.

Role in topic

The USA's approach to ANSAs is often characterized by a dual focus: upholding state sovereignty and counter-terrorism efforts. Its perspective will likely highlight the challenges of balancing national security concerns with human rights obligations when dealing with groups designated as terrorist organizations, as well as the complexities of engaging with other non-state actors in conflict zones.

Russia

RUS often prioritizes state sovereignty and views engagement with ANSAs through the lens of national security and territorial integrity.

Role in topic

RUS's perspective on armed non-state actors is heavily influenced by its own internal and external security concerns. It often emphasizes the principle of state sovereignty and non-interference, which can lead to a cautious approach to international engagement with ANSAs, particularly those perceived as threats to state authority.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Human Rights Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors

The modern human rights framework, anchored in the 1948 Universal Declaration and subsequent treaties such as the ICCPR and ICESCR, was designed primarily to bind states. Yet since the end of the Cold War, the majority of armed conflicts have been non-international, involving insurgents, militias, cartels, and de facto authorities that govern territory and populations outside formal state structures. Groups ranging from the FARC in Colombia to the Houthis in Yemen, the Taliban in Afghanistan, and Al-Shabaab in Somalia have administered courts, taxed civilians, and conducted military operations, raising the question of whether and how international human rights law applies to them. The core dispute concerns the legal status of armed non-state actors (ANSAs). International humanitarian law, via Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II, clearly binds non-state parties in armed conflict. International human rights law is less settled: the OHCHR, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, and the Human Rights Council have increasingly treated ANSAs that exercise government-like functions as bearing human rights responsibilities, while many states resist any framing that confers legitimacy on rebel groups. Civil society initiatives such as Geneva Call's Deeds of Commitment have sought voluntary compliance with norms on landmines, child recruitment, and sexual violence. Today the debate has sharpened with the Taliban's return to power in Kabul, RSF abuses in Sudan, gang control in Haiti, and the Houthi de facto administration in northern Yemen. Delegates must consider how to extend accountability and victim redress without legitimizing violence, and how monitoring bodies, sanctions regimes, and the ICC interact when the perpetrators are not states.

Key players

Conflict Resolution and Engagement with Armed Non-State Actors

Conflict resolution doctrine evolved through the UN's Agenda for Peace (1992) and the Brahimi Report (2000), which emphasized negotiated settlements, peacekeeping, and post-conflict statebuilding. However, most contemporary wars involve fragmented insurgencies, transnational jihadist networks, and criminal armed groups that complicate traditional mediation models built around two state-like parties. Cases such as the 2016 Colombian peace accord with the FARC, the Doha process with the Taliban, and the on-and-off Juba talks on Sudan illustrate both the promise and the fragility of negotiating with ANSAs. The core dispute is between exclusionary approaches—counterterrorism designations, sanctions, and military pressure that prohibit dialogue with proscribed groups—and inclusive approaches championed by mediators such as Norway, Switzerland, and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, which argue that durable settlements require talking to those holding the guns. Listing regimes under UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1373, as well as unilateral terrorist designations, often constrain humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges, and confidence-building measures. Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs, transitional justice mechanisms, and power-sharing arrangements remain contested tools. The issue stands today at an inflection point. The collapse of the Afghan republic, stalled Syrian negotiations, the Tigray ceasefire in Ethiopia, fragile arrangements in the eastern DRC, and renewed war in Sudan have prompted reassessment of mediation strategy. Delegates will weigh how to reconcile counterterrorism law with peacemaking, how to sequence ceasefires and political talks, and how to ensure victims and women's groups are represented in line with Resolution 1325.

Key players

Violence Against Civilians in Contemporary Armed Conflict

The protection of civilians has been a central concern of international law since the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols, reinforced by the 2005 Responsibility to Protect doctrine and successive Security Council resolutions on the protection of civilians, women and peace and security, and children and armed conflict. Yet civilian casualty rates, forced displacement, and sexual and gender-based violence remain at historic highs, driven in large part by armed non-state actors operating in densely populated areas and by state responses that often blur distinctions between combatants and civilians. The core dispute centers on accountability for atrocities committed by non-state perpetrators and on the legality of state counter-violence. Boko Haram and ISIS abductions, RSF attacks in Darfur, cartel violence in Mexico and Haiti, and attacks on aid workers across the Sahel have exposed gaps in enforcement. The International Criminal Court has indicted ANSA commanders such as Bosco Ntaganda and Dominic Ongwen, while UN commissions of inquiry document violations in Syria, Myanmar, and Ukraine. Debate persists over the use of explosive weapons in populated areas—addressed in the 2022 Dublin Declaration—siege warfare, starvation as a method of war, and digital incitement that fuels mass violence. Today the agenda is shaped by overlapping crises: famine conditions in Gaza and Sudan, ethnic violence in the eastern DRC, gang rule in Port-au-Prince, and ongoing attacks on civilians in Ukraine. Delegates must consider stronger monitoring and reporting mechanisms, victim-centered reparations, safe humanitarian corridors, and whether existing frameworks adequately address ANSAs that deliberately target civilians as a strategy of war.

Key players

Resources

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Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Non-State Actors (ICHRANSA)

Sep 2–3, 2026Doha, QatarIn-person

Starts in 25 daysRegistration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Human Rights Obligations of Armed Non-State Actors · Conflict Resolution and Engagement with Armed Non-State Actors · Violence Against Civilians in Contemporary Armed Conflict

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Qatar

As the host nation, QAT facilitates dialogue on human rights and non-state actors, positioning itself as a neutral ground for critical discussions.

Role in topic

Switzerland

CHE advocates for the consistent application of international humanitarian law and human rights law to all parties in conflict, including ANSAs.

Role in topic

United States

USA emphasizes state responsibility for human rights while also engaging with ANSAs when strategic interests align, often with a focus on counter-terrorism.

Role in topic

Russia

RUS often prioritizes state sovereignty and views engagement with ANSAs through the lens of national security and territorial integrity.

Role in topic