Mesures prises:
In order to strengthen the implementation of and compliance with international humanitarian law in military operations, Austria implemented, among other measures, the following trainings for the Austrian armed forces and European as well as international partner countries:
• In 2024/2025, the Vienna Course on International Law for Military Legal Advisors organized by the Austrian Ministry of Defence will take place in Austria for the 11th time in cooperation with and under the auspices of the „European Security and Defence College“ (ESDC). The Course aims at legal advisors from the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and reserve-officers as well as legal advisors from partner countries. The course provides in-depth knowledge on international law, operational law and, in particular, international humanitarian law.
• In 2012, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Chancellery, the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria together with the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP) developed an interdisciplinary training programme on the Protection of Civilians (UN certified since 2014, re-certified in 2018 and 2022 as “Comprehensive Protection of Civilians Course”). This course builds capacity for senior decision-makers of armed forces and the police, as well as civilian experts working at the operational level with or in the context of international peace missions. It enables them to address challenges in protecting civilian populations in conflict or post-conflict contexts. The week-long course is held twice per year. Furthermore, the Officers’ Training Courses at the Austrian Military Academy (Theresianische Militärakademie) fully incorporates International Humanitarian Law as an integral part of their training.