Cities have never been immune from warfare. But over the last century, armed conflicts have increasingly been fought in populated areas. This has exposed civilians to greater risk of death, injury, …
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) entered into force in December 2014. Through this treaty, States set common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms and ammunition, with the express …
This toolbox contains ten case studies and a model unilateral declaration related to the protection of health care. It is meant for armed groups, or individuals or entities that engage with armed …
This policy paper outlines key recommendations for policy-makers on ways to prevent migrants from going missing and, when they do, how to respond to the problem. It highlights the need to standardize …
Detention is already a severe restriction of a person’s freedom. But some detainees are subject to even greater restrictions during their time in custody. In this booklet, we examine how restrictive …
This publication compiles case studies of initiatives taken to safeguard the delivery of health care in Pakistan, Peru and El Salvador. Each initiative was designed to prevent or minimize the impact …
Although all older people have the same basic needs, failure to meet these needs – and the additional needs that arise in detention – can have particularly severe consequences, and take a heavy toll …
Is torture wrong or part of war? If the laws of war were better respected, would civilians flee their countries? Is attacking hospitals, ambulances and health-care workers wrong or part of war? These …
To mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, the Review asked historians, legal scholars and humanitarian practitioners to look back at the wars of the past century from a humanitarian point …
Businesses can have both positive and negative effects on communities in conflict-affected or high-risk areas. They may contribute to the violence, but they may also be the victims of it, or even …
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Created in 1863, the ICRC library, alongside the ICRC archives, provides an indispensable documentary reference on the organization itself and international humanitarian law.
International humanitarian law is based on a number of treaties, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, and a series of other instruments.
Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.
