Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) was developed to assist governments in their efforts to spread knowledge of international humanitarian law (IHL), as required by the Geneva Conventions. The programme is designed to be implemented by Ministries of Education. To ensure EHL's success and effectiveness, education authorities must take ownership of the programme and be closely involved in delivering EHL to young people. If needed, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies may provide technical and academic support and contribute to the training and professional development of teachers.

The ICRC's strategic goal is that education in IHL becomes fully integrated in the formal curricula of secondary schools around the world, as part of basic education. Hence, the ICRC is committed to strengthening the EHL community of practice. It is the ICRC's hope that more states will begin to implement EHL and that those already using the programme will sustain their efforts.

Complementing efforts at the national level, inter-governmental organizations have demonstrated a growing interest in the EHL programme. In December 2003, for example, on behalf of the European Union, the Council of the EU pledged to support the EHL programme. The subsequent European Education Leadership Seminar, held in May 2006, confirmed that EHL responds to European educational priorities. Moreover, through the African Union and the League of Arab States, member states have positively reviewed the programme and recommended its official adoption.

States and other entities currently working to implement EHL

• Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa
• Americas: Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay
• Asia: Australia, China (including Hong Kong), India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand
• Europe: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, UNMIK/PISG Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
• Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestinian autonomous/occupied territories, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen