30 x 30 Program
There are only around 20 countries in the world with national legal review processes. The 30x30 Program seeks to increase this to 30 countries by 2030.
The 30×30 Program is a targeted capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening national legal review processes for new weapons, means, and methods of warfare. The Program supports States in giving practical effect to their obligations under Article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, thereby reinforcing compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) in weapons development, acquisition, and use.
Although 174 States are party to Additional Protocol I, current practice indicates that only a limited number—approximately 20 States—have established formal, standing national mechanisms for the legal review of weapons. The 30×30 Program seeks to address this gap by supporting at least 30 States to establish or substantially enhance national legal review processes by 2030.
The Program is directed at government legal and policy advisers within Ministries or Departments of Defence and Ministries of Foreign Affairs who are responsible for weapons acquisition, operational law, or international legal compliance. Engagement under the 30×30 Program is confidential, non-prescriptive, and tailored to national circumstances, with a focus on practical implementation rather than abstract legal theory.
Legal and policy advisers interested in developing, formalising, or strengthening their national legal review arrangements are invited to contact us to discuss how the 30×30 Program can provide targeted, practitioner-focused support.
How does the Program work?
The 30×30 Program is a capacity-building initiative designed to support States in establishing, strengthening, or refining national legal review processes for new weapons, means, and methods of warfare. The Program, in collaboration with our training partner Article 36 Legal, adopts a bespoke, State-centred approach, recognising that effective legal review mechanisms must be adapted to each country’s legal system, institutional arrangements, operational context, and resource constraints.
Participation in the 30×30 Program is voluntary, confidential and non-prescriptive. All engagement is conducted on an unclassified basis, with no requirement to disclose sensitive national information. The Program is intended to complement, not replace, existing national processes and sovereign decision-making.
On an individual basis, participating States will receive, at no cost, the following support:
A one-day, unclassified online Legal Review Certification Course for government legal advisers, providing structured training in international weapons law and practical methodologies for conducting legal reviews of new capabilities (course outline attached). The course is designed to be directly applicable to national practice and is delivered in a confidential, practitioner-focused setting.
A comprehensive Legal Review Practitioner’s Guide, offering step-by-step guidance on the design, operation, and institutionalisation of national legal review mechanisms, including practical considerations for resourcing, documentation, and inter-agency coordination.
Model legal review templates and sample reports, including illustrative review assessments, to support consistency, quality assurance, and internal standardisation, while remaining adaptable to national requirements.
Advisory support on integration, assisting legal advisers and acquisition officials to embed legal review processes effectively within national capability development and procurement systems.
The 30×30 Program is expressly designed for government legal advisers and officials responsible for weapons acquisition and compliance with international humanitarian law, providing practical, confidential support to strengthen national capacity in a legally robust and operationally realistic manner.
