How norms and rules contribute to peaceful relations and justice
Law and Ethics
What is the relationship between norms and the realm of international affairs? Can it ever be morally defensible to engage in armed struggle? If so, what rules and parameters should guide the use of armed force? How are current rules grounded, and how can we critique and change them so that they contribute to peaceful relations and further the cause of justice? And, not least, how can we use ethics and law to build trustful, stable, and peaceful relations in a multicultural world? These and similar overarching questions form the foundations of the Law and Ethics research group at PRIO.
The work of the Law and Ethics research group is primarily focused on three overarching themes, each encompassing a number of related research areas:
1. The rules of war and peace in history and in practice
2. Emerging military technologies (including unmanned aerial vehicles and cyber technology)
3. Institutional and moral challenges in the current world order.
PRIO’s work on Law and Ethics encompasses the academic fields of law, moral philosophy, political theory, religious studies, theology, history, and sociology. Although quantitative approaches will oftentimes be utilized or relied upon, the researchers within this research group mainly employ qualitative, hermeneutic approaches, both historical and sociological. Law and Ethics includes both normative and descriptive projects.
08/08/2023
New papers and podcast on humanitarian negotiations
New papers and podcast on humanitarian negotiations
In the research project Red Lines and Grey Zones: Exploring the Ethics of Humanitarian Negotiation (RedLines) two papers and a new podcast episode have recently been published in collaboration with the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS).
08/08/2023
New podcast series: FAIR: Ethics in Peace Negotiations
New podcast series: FAIR: Ethics in Peace Negotiations
A new podcast series on ethics in peace negotiations is now available on Spotify.
24/07/2023
New case brief under the FAIR project: The US Talks with the Afghan Taliban: Pulling the Rug from under a Government it Created
New case brief under the FAIR project: The US Talks with the Afghan Taliban: Pulling the Rug from under a Government it Created
This new case brief under the On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation (FAIR) project written by Kristian Berg Harpviken focuses on how the US-Taliban agreement paved the way for the Taliban’s takeover, an outcome that was not given yet seemed highly likely, whether seen from the vantage point of 2018 (when talks started) or 2020 (when they were concluded).
07/07/2023
The data of the most vulnerable people is the least protected
The data of the most vulnerable people is the least protected
A 'Do No Harm' project blogpost looks into how biometric data collection has caused harm in the context of humanitarian interventions and where the future risks lie.
17/04/2023
Lea K Matthaei has Successfully Defended her Master's Thesis
Lea K Matthaei has Successfully Defended her Master's Thesis
Lea K Matthaei has successfully defended her MA thesis under the On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation (FAIR) project.
07/03/2023
Call to Action on Responsible Military AI
Call to Action on Responsible Military AI
PRIO Researchers Greg Reichberg and Samar Abbas Nawaz attended a recent summit on Responsible AI in the Military domain.
02/03/2023
Ethics of Humanitarian Action: Webinars on Syria, Afghanistan
Ethics of Humanitarian Action: Webinars on Syria, Afghanistan
Both the Ethics of Humanitarian Neutrality in Syria and the Red Lines for Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan webinars were recorded and can be streamed via the seminar webpages.
08/11/2022
New Case Brief: Trust and Fairness: Ethical Dilemmas in the Iran Nuclear (JCPOA) Negotiations
New Case Brief: Trust and Fairness: Ethical Dilemmas in the Iran Nuclear (JCPOA) Negotiations
This FAIR Case Brief examines the role of threats and sanctions between the key parties and how they impacted on trust between the various sides as well as on perceptions of fairness in the negotiations.
04/11/2022
Exploring Ethics-Driven Approaches to Digital Peacebuilding at Geneva Peace Week
Exploring Ethics-Driven Approaches to Digital Peacebuilding at Geneva Peace Week
More than 40 peace practitioners, researchers and representatives from international organizations came together on 2 November 2022 in Geneva to discuss how various ethics perspectives could help in the planning, implemention, and evaluation of digital peacebuilding interventions.
27/10/2022
FAIR project workshop takes place in Cyprus
FAIR project workshop takes place in Cyprus
The PRIO project “On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation” (FAIR) organized a workshop in Cyprus in partnership with the PRIO Cyprus Centre, PRIO Middle East Centre, and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security, 19-21 October.
Ayşe Bala Akal (2023)
Tacit engagement and humanitarian negotiation dilemmas
Tacit engagement and humanitarian negotiation dilemmas
NCHS Paper
Kelly Fisher & Sigurd Hovd (2023)
Ethical challenges in AI-enhanced military operations
Ethical challenges in AI-enhanced military operations
Lea Kirsten Matthaei (2023)
Ethics in Peace Negotiations: Roles and Considerations According to Experts
Ethics in Peace Negotiations: Roles and Considerations According to Experts
Kristin Bergtora Sandvik (2020)
Wearables for something good: aid, dataveillance and the production of children’s digital bodies
Wearables for something good: aid, dataveillance and the production of children’s digital bodies
Journal Article in Information, Communication & Society
Larissa Fast (2022)
Data sharing between humanitarian organisations and donors: Toward understanding and articulating responsible practice
Data sharing between humanitarian organisations and donors: Toward understanding and articulating responsible practice
NCHS Paper
Franziska Atwii et al. (2022)
WorldRiskReport 2022 Focus: Digital Risks in Disaster Situations
WorldRiskReport 2022 Focus: Digital Risks in Disaster Situations
The World Risk Report
Sigurd Hovd (2023)
Tools of war and virtue – institutional structures as a source of ethical deskilling
Tools of war and virtue – institutional structures as a source of ethical deskilling
Journal Article in Frontiers in Big Data
George Lucas (2023)
Law, Ethics and Emerging Military Technologies
Law, Ethics and Emerging Military Technologies
Nina Wilén (2022)
The impact of security force assistance in Niger: meddling with borders
The impact of security force assistance in Niger: meddling with borders
Journal Article in International Affairs
Louise Olsson (2022)
Peacekeeping operations and women’s security
Peacekeeping operations and women’s security
Book chapter in Handbook on Peacekeeping and International Relations
9–10 Feb 2024
Conference on Digital Designs – from Unique ID to CBDC
Conference on Digital Designs – from Unique ID to CBDC
Friday, 6 Oct 2023 10:00–13:00 UTC+02
Histories and Futures of Ethics in Humanitarian Negotiations
Histories and Futures of Ethics in Humanitarian Negotiations
28 Apr 2023–28 Jul 2023
Webinar on the ethics and the global distribution of vaccines during Covid-19
Webinar on the ethics and the global distribution of vaccines during Covid-19
Friday, 21 Apr 2023 13:00–14:30 UTC+02
Webinar on Engaging with the Taliban then and now: Lessons learned, lessons spurned?
Webinar on Engaging with the Taliban then and now: Lessons learned, lessons spurned?
Tuesday, 18 Apr 2023 14:00–15:30 UTC+02
The Challenges of Inclusive Peace Processes: The Case of Colombia
The Challenges of Inclusive Peace Processes: The Case of Colombia
Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 15:00–16:30 UTC+01
Renewing the UN's Mandate for Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Reflections and Recommendations
Renewing the UN's Mandate for Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Reflections and Recommendations
Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 09:00–10:30 UTC+01
Terrorism Ill-Defined? Data, Health Services, and the Law
Terrorism Ill-Defined? Data, Health Services, and the Law
Friday, 10 Feb 2023 14:00–15:30 UTC+01
Webinar on Red lines for Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan
Webinar on Red lines for Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan
Monday, 16 Jan 2023 13:00–14:30 UTC+01
Webinar on the Ethics of Humanitarian Neutrality in Syria
Webinar on the Ethics of Humanitarian Neutrality in Syria
1–2 Dec 2022
Humanitarian Borders & the Governance of Mobility in Europe: from 2015 to 2022
Humanitarian Borders & the Governance of Mobility in Europe: from 2015 to 2022
Apr 2019 –
Catering to Conflict-Affected Communities? The Trajectory and Relevance of Judicial and Non-Judicial Measures in Colombia
Catering to Conflict-Affected Communities? The Trajectory and Relevance of Judicial and Non-Judicial Measures in Colombia
Jan 2016 –
Critical Perspectives on Migrant Smuggling
Critical Perspectives on Migrant Smuggling
Jul 2020 – Dec 2023
On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation (FAIR)
On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation (FAIR)
Jun 2019 –
Peace, Security and Global Digital Politics: ePOLITICS Initiative
Peace, Security and Global Digital Politics: ePOLITICS Initiative
Jan 2022 – Sep 2025
Red Lines and Grey Zones: Exploring the Ethics of Humanitarian Negotiation
Red Lines and Grey Zones: Exploring the Ethics of Humanitarian Negotiation
Jan 2019 –
Revisiting the property issue
Revisiting the property issue
Dec 2021 – Aug 2025
Shaping the Digital World Order: Norms and Agency along the Digital Silk Road in Southeast Asia (NORM)
Shaping the Digital World Order: Norms and Agency along the Digital Silk Road in Southeast Asia (NORM)
Jan 2020 – Dec 2023
Warring with Machines: Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence and the Relevance of Virtue Ethics
Warring with Machines: Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence and the Relevance of Virtue Ethics
Coordinator
Kristoffer Lidén
Research Director
Full members
Associated members
