Armed groups and de facto authorities are key players in today’s armed conflicts: they directly impact civilian populations and pose an increasing global challenge. Non-governmental organizations such as Geneva Call engage and speak to them, in order to induce them to comply with the rules of international humanitarian law to enhance the protection of the civilian population caught in the midst of armed conflicts. But does engaging with these groups and authorities actually make a difference to how the wars in which they participate are eventually being carried out? In this first episode of the second season of 'In and Around War(s)’, Ezequiel Heffes, currently Director of the organisation called Watchlist, shares with us his rich experience of engaging with armed groups to ensure respect for international humanitarian law with the co-hosts Paola Gaeta and Ana Srovin Coralli. Links - Geneva Call, organisation engaging with armed groups to increase respect for IHL: https://www.genevacall.org/ - International Committee of the Red Cross, Restoring family links programme: https://www.icrc.org/en/what-we-do/restoring-family-links - Watchlist, network of organisations that advocate for children in war zones: https://watchlist.org/ - Detention by Non-State Armed Groups under International Law, Cambrige University Press, January 2022: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/detention-by-nonstate-armed-groups-under-international-law/64639EE42DAEF7CA410127E217F73D25 Follow and contact us at: https://www.geneva-academy.ch/; https://twitter.com/Geneva_Academy. Credits for the production go to Margherita Capacci, Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco, and Antonio Coco.