What We Do
A groundbreaking, multi-disciplinary project to illuminate and rectify a critical blindspot regarding the cumulative impact of conflict on civilians in international law and policy.
Conflict harms civilians in unthinkable ways. Around the globe, conflicts are unfolding in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and elsewhere, taking an immense toll on civilian populations. Over time, conflict kills and maims individuals, results in significant psychological and social harm, causes infrastructure to decay and collapse, and is often associated with a high incidence of sexual violence, among many other harms.
International law and policy governing conflict fail to account for the various ways that harm accumulates over time in armed conflict. While international law and policy governs discrete, individual attacks and the decision to resort to the use of force, it does not adequately require decision-makers to consider how this harm might aggregate over time. Through the Cumulative Civilian Harm project, our international team of experts and partners are developing a new law-based policy framework to fill this gap. In line with our holistic approach to problem-solving, we are undertaking cutting edge research that will underpin our recommendations, drawing on faculty and expertise across disciplines, including law, ethics, philosophy, political science, economics, psychology, security studies, and foreign policy.
We are conducting interviews with former and current senior military and political decision-makers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel to understand if and how cumulative civilian harm is or could be considered in decision-making despite the absence of a formal legal requirement. To complement our research with elite decision-makers, we conduct field work together with our project partners and are developing a state-practice database on the use of force and civilian harm.
Our Experts
Anna Cave
Principal Investigator
Mitt Regan
Co-Director, Center on National Security
David Luban
Professor of Law and Philosophy
Todd Huntley
Director, National Security Law Program
Sarah Mcintosh
Senior Associate
Project Partners
What We Do
Innovation Workshops
In order to tackle this multifaceted problem, we convene groups of experts, practitioners, and academics on a semi-annual basis to incubate innovative solutions and sensitize key stakeholders to the problem. Our innovation workshops are opportunities for us to test out new research and strategies.
Advisory Board
To help advise and guide our work, our international team also convenes a high-level Advisory Board consisting of prominent experts, former government decision makers, civil society leaders, and others from around the globe.
State Practice Database
As part of our effort to build the case that cumulative civilian harm should be considered by decision makers in conflict, we are developing what will be a publicly available database compiling relevant state practice.
Research
This project is at the cutting edge of research on civilians in conflict. We are conducting extensive desk research and interviews with experts, practitioners, and academics to develop a holistic view of the decision-making process as it relates to the cumulative impact of conflict on civilians.
Support Us
With support from the National Science Foundation, the Cumulative Civilian Harm project has been underway since 2023. Our partners receive joint funding from the UK Research Innovation. We are currently in need of additional financial support for this project. Please contact:
Anna Cave
Executive Director
anna.cave@georgetown.edu
Related Focus Area
Use of Force, Human Security and Justice
Advancing policies to protect civilians and promote human security in conflict zones.