Fact sheet providing a summary description of the sources, content and field of application of international humanitarian law.

Extract from "International Humanitarian Law : an introduction", Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva/Paul Haupt Publishers, Bern, 1993. Updated by the author in November 1998.

This revamped version of the brochure is an ideal introduction to international humanitarian law. It explores how even in war there are limits: limits on the conduct of warfare and limits on the behaviour of combatants. Its colourful design and revised content, which includes a new chapter on what IHL says about terrorism, make it accessible to all readers interested in both the origins and the modern-day application of the law.

Extract from ICRC publication "International humanitarian law: answers to your questions"

Extract from ICRC publication "International humanitarian law: answers to your questions"

Is international humanitarian law up to the job of protecting the people affected by modern-day armed conflicts? This film looks at the poor security conditions frequently confronting the civilian population, the fact that people often have to flee their homes, hostage-taking, the dangers posed by cluster munitions, and the work of preventing and punishing war crimes. It tells us the basic rules of the law and reminds us that respecting them is everyone's responsibility.

What is international humanitarian law (IHL)? Why is it important? How and who does it protect? Simple and concise answers to these and other related questions are given in this leaflet, including a brief overview of the ICRC's role as the "guardian" of IHL. An ideal first introduction to IHL.

This revamped version of the brochure is an ideal introduction to international humanitarian law. It explores how even in war there are limits: limits on the conduct of warfare and limits on the behaviour of combatants. Its colourful design and revised content, which includes a new chapter on what IHL says about terrorism, make it accessible to all readers interested in both the origins and the modern-day application of the law.

Fully revised, this 3rd edition gathers together the principal rules of humanitarian law from its origins to its most recent developments. It focuses particularly on the rules governing weapons and the field of international criminal law. Combining theory and actual practice, this book appeals to specialists as well as to students turning to the subject for the first time.

The text of the Geneva Conventions and of their Additional Protocols is very complex and not always easily understood by the layperson. A simplified work was needed to present and explain these international law treaties to an ever-increasing number of readers. In this study, the author, Jean de Preux, comments briefly on the main provisions of the Conventions and their Additional Protocols, brings out their meaning and specifies the relevant articles. For easy reference, an index is included at the end of the book.

The cornerstone of the 1977 Additional Protocols is the principle of distinction. This leaflet provides a concise overview of the requirements of all parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants, civilian objects and military targets. It describes the protection afforded by the Additional Protocols to both those not taking part in the conflict as well as the protection entitled to combatants.

This dictionary presents the most important terms and concepts from two branches of international law: jus ad bellum and jus in bello. From "action, defensive" to "zone, territorial", over 450 entries are defined.

This text has been prepared for dissemination purposes and cannot in any circumstances serve as a substitute for the complete provisions of the international agreements - Extract from "Basic rules of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols"