14 DAY TRIAL // The Red Cross announced that it planned to hold discussions about how video game developers reflected humanitarian law in the experiences they create and the Red Cross was quickly attacked for taking on issues that were outside its area of competency.
But the organization seems determined to highlight the subject and an official post on the site of the International Committee of the Red Cross says, “In real life, armed forces are subject to the laws of armed conflict. Video games simulating the experience of armed forces therefore have the potential to raise awareness of the rules that those forces must comply with whenever they engage in armed conflict - this is one of the things that interests the ICRC.”
It adds, “Given this mandate and the ICRC's long history and expertise in matters relating to armed conflict, the development of these games is clearly of interest to the organization.”
The ICR says that it plans to engage with developers in order to convince them to reflect the real world laws of war in their titles.