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Protection & Assistance in International Humanitarian Law - HEA00096M

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
B Spring Term 2023-24

Module aims

This module investigates the key conventions related to international humanitarian law within protection and assistance such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Geneva Conventions, Hague Conventions and various other protocols such as the Dar-es-salaam Declaration and the Kampala Convention. Through this investigation, students will examine the relevance and effectiveness of current International law related to protection and assistance to debate on emerging norms such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

This module will provide the opportunity to students to understand the challenges in delivering protection and assistance through International legal frameworks as well as the responsibilities of different organisations such as the United Nations and IFRC. New emerging global powers and the changing landscape of humanitarian delivery present new and complex challenges to the international humanitarian law and protection framework. Students that are working in the humanitarian field need to understand this as well as develop strategic mechanisms and approaches to humanitarian delivery.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • Students will understand the complexity and politics of delivering protection and legal assistance in humanitarian assistance and develop skills to engage with these issues at both policy and practice levels.
  • Students will critically engage and analyse the ethical, organisational, protection and legal frameworks of humanitarian affairs.
  • Students will evaluate the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of protection and legal assistance in humanitarian situations.

Academic and graduate skills

  • Students will develop skills in analysing and examining protection and legal frameworks in humanitarian affairs.
  • Students will understand and identify appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the delivery of protection and legal assistance in humanitarian situations.
  • Students will develop informal research strategies to engage with policy and practice of protection and legal assistance.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Written feedback will be provided on the standard proforma within the timescale specified in the programme handbook.

Indicative reading

Bouchet-Saulnier, F. (2013) The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc., Maryland, USA.

ICRC (2004) What is international humanitarian law? ICRC Advisory Service on international humanitarian law, Geneva.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.