Partnered Operations and International Law

Partnered operations refer to military operations where States collaborate with each other, with non-State actors (such as organized armed groups) or with intergovernmental organizations (such as the United Nations) to achieve a common aim in a given conflict situation. Partnered operations are not a new phenomenon, but nowadays they have become the standard modality of conducting military operations, with the armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Syria, Yemen being such examples. Partnered operations are characterized by different degrees of support and involvement which can range from the supply of weapons and military equipment; the provision of logistical, financial, and technical support; intelligence sharing; training and advising; to co-deployment and joint combat operations. In addition to the rationae materiae and rationae personae diversity of partnered operations, military partnerships may also give rise to (co) belligerency or non-belligerency.