The IHL Centre's visit to Doha, Qatar

In April 2025, a team from the IHL Centre visited the Al Jazeera Media Network headquarters in Doha. The team met with Dr. Mostefa Souag, Director General of Al Jazeera and Sami Al-Haj, Director of the Al Jazeera Center for Public Liberties and Human Rights, to discuss the relevance and importance of IHL in the region, and opportunities for collaboration with the Centre.

During the visit, the Centre's Director, Stephen Wilkinson was invited to join a live interview on Al Jazeera Arabic, addressing the use of starvation as a method of warfare and the broader implications of IHL violations on the interpretation and application of IHL.

Together with the Al Jazeera Media Network and the International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC, the Centre also co-hosted a one-day workshop for journalists entitled “Media Coverage of International Humanitarian Law Issues: Reality and Ambition.” The workshop brought together around 30 journalists and media professionals from across the Al Jazeera Media Network. Its objective was to deepen their understanding of IHL principles and build their capacity to report on armed conflicts accurately and responsibly. The workshop was highly interactive, with rich discussions on contemporary challenges in armed conflicts. An online follow-up session is already planned to keep the momentum going.

During the visit to Qatar, the team also had constructive meetings with both the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies and the International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC Mission in Qatar—with both expressing strong interest in ongoing collaboration with the Centre. Looking ahead, the Centre is excited to announce we will be co-hosting (together with the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies) a public panel discussion on 13 May in Doha entitled “The Need to Democratize IHL: Expanding Contributions to International Humanitarian Law.”