26 Sep 2018 -  The latest Report of the UN Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict highlights the appalling humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts on persons who are protected under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Despite this worrying trend, good practices also exist that demonstrate compliance with IHL and enhance the protection of civilians. The demobilisation of child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, the agreements on accounting of missing persons in Colombia, or yet the government campaign to eliminate the threat of landmines in Thailand have shown the commitment of a number of parties to conflict to respect IHL. While it is important to highlight the dire consequences of IHL violation, the side event will tend to display the results achieved by positive changes of attitude on IHL on the ground.