Ageing in imprisonment - Summary report
This report summarises the proceedings of the two-day meeting the ICRC organised in December 2016 on the needs of older prisoners. The meeting saw the participation of experts with practical …
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From virtual to real: Why ICRC is testing VR’s empathy generating potential
The ICRC is asking people around the world to watch our new VR film 'The Right Choice' to explore VR's empathy-generating potential. "We first noticed the power of immersive storytelling with the …
Symbols of help, hope and humanity
This short but dynamic comic is adapted from the video animation The red cross, red crescent and red crystal. What do they mean? In one word: protection. It intends to help people better understand …
“The primary responsibility for tackling sexual violence rests with the authorities”
Preventing sexual violence and looking after those who have suffered from it are the two main ways that the ICRC acts in this sensitive area. Although we are making headway, the task is still …
The war at home
Four photographers show the devastating impact of urban displacement in their own countries. Internal displacement is at an unprecedented global peak. The number of people forcibly displaced within …
Thousands are still missing in Lebanon, pass the law on the missing
On the International Day of the Disappeared and every day, the ICRC in Lebanon will stand in solidarity with the families of the missing in the country. - We call on the Lebanese parliament to pass …
West Bank: Israel must abide by International Humanitarian Law
Jerusalem/Tel Aviv (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned by Israel's decision to demolish private houses and other structures in Khan al Ahmar village in …
South Sudan: Without peace deal, scorched-earth tactics and civilian suffering will continue
Geneva (ICRC) – The signing of a peace agreement between South Sudan's warring parties is a hopeful sign that a sustainable solution can be found for a conflict that has had tragic consequences for …
Islamic Law and International Humanitarian Law
Islamic law is the bedrock of Islam and one of the three major legal systems in the world today. Owing to its unique characteristics, some parties to armed conflict continue to refer to Islamic law …
International expert meeting report: The principle of proportionality
This report provides an account of the debates that took place during a meeting of international experts co-organized by the ICRC and Université Laval (Quebec) in June 2016 in Quebec. The subject …
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ICRC library
Created in 1863, the ICRC library, alongside the ICRC archives, provides an indispensable documentary reference on the organization itself and international humanitarian law.
IHL treaties
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 IHL
Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.