Wednesday 17 September 2025
Opening of the Conference

Ludwig VAN DER VEKEN, President, Belgian Group of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War

Conference Moderator:

Dr. Hanna BOURGEOIS, Legal Advisor, DG Legal Support, Belgian
Defence

Session 1 – Defending Territorial Integrity in case of Aerial Incursions, Unauthorized Border Crossings by Armed Personnel, Non-Innocent Passage etc.

Chair:
Brigadier (Ret.) Darren STEWART OBE, Senior Vice-President of
the Society
Presenters :
The aerial dimension
First Lieutenant (Air Force) Rafael BOEYNAEMS, Legal Advisor, DG
Legal Support, Belgian Ministry of Defence
The land dimension
Brigadier (Ret.) Darren STEWART OBE, Senior Vice-President of
the Society
The naval dimension
Alfons VANHEUSDEN, Assistant Secretary General of the Society

Session 2 – The Law of Occupation and Current State Practice

Chair:
Dr. Hanne CUYCKENS, Associate Professor of Military Law,
Netherlands Defence Academy
Presenters:
Sophie SCHUBERTH, PhD Candidate, Freie Universität Berlin & Law Clerc, Higher Regional Court of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Natia KALANDARISHVILI-MUELLER, Professor of
International Law, ALTE University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Dr. Nele VERLINDEN, Senior Legal Advisor, ICRC Delegation to the
EU, NATO and the Kingdom of Belgium

Session 3 – Current Debates in the Cyber and Quantum Domain

Chair:
Pieter BYTTEBIER, Head of International Policy & EU Affairs, Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium
Presenters:
Petra FLORIZOONE, Director, IBM Quantum Global Partnerships &
Business Development
Colonel Eric POUW, Associate Professor of Military Law, Netherlands Defence Academy

Session 4 – Military Objectives in the Modern World

Chair:
Prof. (Em.) Dr. Terry D. GILL, University of Amsterdam
Presenters:
Arjen VERMEER, Assistant Professor of Military Law, Netherlands
Defence Academy
Dr. Luigi DANIELE, Senior Lecturer and Module Leader, Nottingham
Law School
Dr. Eirini GIORGOU, Legal Advisor, Arms & Conduct of Hostilities Unit, ICRC

Session 5 – The Right to Privacy in Military Operations

Chair:
Emmanuel JACOB, President, Euromil
Presenters:
Dr. Brian L. COX, Adjunct Professor of Law, Cornell Law School
Prof. Dr. Marten ZWANENBURG, Professor of Military Law,
Netherlands Defence Academy and University of Amsterdam
Mrs. Ann VÄLJATAGA, PhD Researcher, Berlin Graduate School of
Social Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Friday 19 September 2025
Session 6 – Selected Current Topics in International Criminal Law

Chair:
Dr. Maurizio BLOCK, Military Prosecutor-General, Supreme Court of Italy
Immunities and international criminal law
Presenter:
Dr. Giulia PINZAUTI, Assistant Professor, Leiden University & Deputy Director of the IHL Clinic of the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum
Ecocide
Presenter:
Prof. Dr. Steven DEWULF, Professor of International Law, Chair of Law, Royal Military Academy, Belgium

Session 7 – Long Distance Warfare in Practice and from an Ethical and an International Humanitarian Law Perspective

Chair:
Prof. Dr. Vaios KOUTROULIS, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Presenters:
Marijke PEYS, Head of Restoring Family Links, International
Humanitarian Law and Volunteer Coordination, Belgian Red CrossFlanders

Special Presentation on the Centre for International Humanitarian and Operational Law (CIHOL) established by the Faculty of Law of the Palacký University, and the Czech Armed Forces

Presenter:
Dr. Martin FAIX, Head, Centre for International Humanitarian and
Operational Law & Vice-Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Law, Palacý University