Tools and technical guidance
The IHL Centre develops practical tools and provides specialised technical guidance to support humanitarian actors, civil society organisations, journalists, policymakers, and other stakeholders working in situations of armed conflict.
Our resources are designed to help bridge the gap between international humanitarian law (IHL) and operational realities on the ground. We aim to make IHL more accessible, practical, and actionable for those engaged in humanitarian response, protection work, advocacy, reporting, monitoring, and policy engagement.
Whether through legal analysis, practical guidance, training, or direct technical support, our work seeks to strengthen the ability of actors to use IHL effectively to promote the protection of civilians and reduce harm in conflict settings.
The Stockholm Manual: A Practitioner’s Guide to Conducting IHL Assessments and Advocacy is an innovative practical tool developed by the IHL Centre to support humanitarian diplomacy and advocacy grounded in international humanitarian law.
Designed for both legal and non-legal audiences, the Manual provides step-by-step guidance to help users:
- Understand and apply relevant provisions of IHL in their operational context;
- Assess whether parties to conflict may be failing to comply with their legal obligations;
- Incorporate IHL-based analysis into advocacy, reporting, humanitarian action, and engagement strategies.
To request training, technical support, or further information regarding the Stockholm Manual, please contact us at sm@ihlcentre.org.
The Centre's Inclusive IHL: Closing the Gaps in Humanitarian Protection Report was developed with the Expert Group on Inclusion.
Drawing on expert analysis and evidence from multiple conflict contexts, the report highlights how failure to apply IHL inclusively, leads to concrete harm, and provides recommendations for armed actors and the humanitarian community.
The global launch webinar took place on 12 February 2026, featuring a high-level panels of inclusion experts.
The IHL Centre produces a wide range of practical resources, legal analyses, publications, briefing papers, reports, and technical guidance materials relating to international humanitarian law and civilian protection.
Our knowledge hub provides practical information on international humanitarian law, public international law, and human rights law.
Through our IHL Advisory Service, we provide humanitarian practitioners, diplomats, journalists and others with rapid, free and confidential legal and policy advice on international humanitarian law, also known as the laws of armed conflict.