LAOS - The 23rd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot Court Competition 2025
The 23rd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot Court Competition took place in Hong Kong from 12 to 15 March 2025, bringing together law students from 24 different countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Co-organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Hong Kong Red Cross, and the University of Hong Kong, this annual esteemed event aims to enhance participants’ knowledge and application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), foster a spirit of inter-university cooperation, and promote awareness of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The competition centered around a fictive case titled "The Prosecutor v. Techanon," set before the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The case explored complex legal issues arising from an international armed conflict between the Republic of Dave and the Kingdom of Rufus, involving the use of information technology, artificial intelligence, and social media. The spotlight was on TechAnon, a leader of hacktivist group Techmania, challenging participants to navigate the legality of AI weapons, autonomous military systems, and civilian detention in modern warfare. By participating in the competition, participants tackled vital humanitarian concerns and championed the defense of human dignity amid conflict. The event as a whole underscored the significance of adhering to IHL to reduce the human toll of warfare and protect individual rights.
Representing Laos with pride, the National University of Laos (NUoL) team, from the Faculty of Law and Political Science, included two mooters, Ms. Phonethida Xaynasith and Mr. Thavisak Sivilai, along with researcher Ms. Souvanida Keothongnin. They previously won the Lao National Round of the competition in December 2024, which qualified them for the Regional Round to be held in Hong Kong. Both the Lao National Round and the participation of the Lao team in the Regional Round, as well as cooperation with the ICRC, were handled by the Inter-University Cooperation Project Laos-Luxembourg (jointly implemented by the University of Luxembourg and LuxDev), specifically by Gwendal Soulas (Project Liaison Officer) and Xayasith Leuangdeth (Project Assistant).
Ahead of the Regional Rounds, the Lao team members were coached by Charlotte Imhof, Legal Officer at ILSTA for seven weeks since January 2025. The coaching encompassed the production of detailed memorials for both the prosecution and defense, and preparation and practice of pleadings. In the General Rounds, the Lao team competed against participants from the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka as the Prosecutor, and from Thammasat University, Thailand as the Defendant. Even though they didn’t qualify for the quarter-finals, the Lao team earned high praise for their efforts. Specifically, they obtained scores ranging from “good” to “very good” for their written memorials, and “good” pleadings for the Prosecution.
The event was not only a competitive platform but also a rich learning experience. Participants had the unique opportunity to visit the Hong Kong Red Cross’ Humanitarian Education Center, attend a keynote seminar on AI and autonomous weapon regulations, and engage in a Red Cross Humanitarian Work Career Talk, featuring esteemed legal practitioners from the ICRC as speakers.
The final round, held on 15 March at the Philip K.H. Wong Theatre, University of Hong Kong, was an exciting match between the teams from Singapore and Australia. After a strong performance from both sides, Singaporian participants came out on top, showing impressive courtroom skills and understanding of the law.
The Rule of law, access to justice and good governance programme is financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and jointly implemented by The Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Justice, LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, ILSTA and the University of Luxembourg.
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