Protecting Human Rights in Armed Conflicts Through Virtual Reality

Considering that international human rights law applies at all times—whether in peace or in war—and that international humanitarian law applies only in the context of armed conflicts, both bodies of law should be applied in a complementary and mutually reinforcing way in the context of armed conflict (A/HRC/11/31, para. 5). However, their concurrent application has created confusion, among other aspects, about the human rights standards to be applied and the beneficiaries of these protections. Moreover, certain violations of international human rights and humanitarian law could entail individual criminal responsibility, including for violations committed by members and leaders of non-State armed groups, so other bodies of law, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, could also be applicable. Similarly, other bodies of law, such as international refugee law and domestic law, will often also be applicable and may influence the type of human rights protections available. In this context, it becomes apparent that international human rights standards require action before an armed conflict begins or after a conflict ends. For example, States must encourage the teaching of human rights protection to the civilian population and must provide training to their armed forces to prevent human rights potential abuses. This paper explores the benefits and challenges of using virtual reality to teach human rights in situations of armed conflicts. In theoretical terms, this contribution is based on an anticipatory perspective. In methodological terms, we analyzed institutions that have already implemented VR in education, and we studied articles and research already published on the topic to understand previous trends and findings. The research question is: How can virtual reality be used to protect human rights in armed conflicts and raise global awareness of gross human rights violations in armed conflicts? This research is important to understand how virtual reality could enable citizens to develop the knowledge necessary to promote the future implementation of human rights standards in armed conflicts situations.