All-Ukrainian International Humanitarian Law Competition 2025 Concludes

Kyiv hosted the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) competition for students, organised by the Ukrainian Red Cross in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The event, held from 28 to 30 November 2025, brought together eight student teams from across Ukraine, alongside representatives of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, experts, and government officials serving as judges.

The annual competition aims to promote awareness and understanding of IHL among students. This branch of public international law is applied during armed conflicts to protect victims of war and to restrict the means and methods of warfare. Through simulated scenarios, participants gain practical experience, stepping into the role of legal practitioners and addressing cases that closely reflect real-life situations.

Serhii Panasenko, Director of Programmes at the Ukrainian Red Cross, stated:

“Today in Ukraine, we are witnessing how international humanitarian law faces new challenges. Although all parties to an armed conflict are obliged to respect IHL, systematic violations and war crimes continue to occur. Yet, even in light of these harsh realities, IHL remains a vital tool for limiting violence for the sake of humanity. As the largest humanitarian organisation in Ukraine, we are always ready to support young people, because you are the future of our country.”

This year, the winning team came from the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The runners-up were the team from the State University of Trade and Economics. The award for Best Speaker went to Dmytro Dehtiar from the Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine.

We warmly congratulate all the winners of the All-Ukrainian International Humanitarian Law Competition and extend our sincere thanks to all the teams, their coaches, the judges, and everyone involved in preparing and organising this important event.