Weapon contamination
Long after the last shot in a conflict is fired, unexploded and abandoned weapons continue to kill and maim. In the last decade alone, they took more than 17,000 lives and injured over 70,000. People …
Long after the last shot in a conflict is fired, unexploded and abandoned weapons continue to kill and maim. In the last decade alone, they took more than 17,000 lives and injured over 70,000. People …
During the past 60 years the main victims of war have been civilians. The protection of civilians during armed conflict is therefore a cornerstone of international humanitarian law. This protection …
In war, many people go missing, causing anguish and uncertainty for their families and friends. People have the right to know what happened to their missing relatives. Governments, the military …
Children are especially vulnerable in armed conflicts. Despite the protection provided by law, they continue to be recruited by armed forces and armed groups. They are often separated from their …
International humanitarian law protects a wide range of people and objects during armed conflict. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols protect the sick, wounded and shipwrecked not …
Ever since World War II, the international community has moved increasingly toward the development of a system of international jurisdictions, complementary to that of domestic courts, to try people …
Deprivation of liberty for security reasons is an exceptional measure of control that may be taken in armed conflict. The administrative detention of persons believed to represent a threat to State …
International humanitarian law and other legal regimes are complementary in armed conflicts. They are, however, distinct and separate, especially "jus in bello" (or IHL), which regulates the way war …
One of the key elements of international humanitarian law is the clear distinction between members of the armed forces and civilians. In contemporary armed conflicts, however, the proximity of …
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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.