Weapons
International humanitarian law contains basic principles and rules governing the choice of weapons and prohibits or restricts the employment of certain weapons. The ICRC plays a leading role in the …
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Conventional weapons
International humanitarian law bans or restricts certain types of conventional weapons in order to protect civilians from their indiscriminate effects and to spare combatants from excessive injuries …
Development of national legislation to implement the Convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines – Information kit
ADVISORY SERVICE ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW ____________________________________ Development of national legislation to implement the Convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines - …
Falklands / Malvinas: The ICRC’s role, 30 years on
2 April 2012 is the 30th anniversary of the start of the conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falklands/Malvinas. Edmond Corthésy was head of the ICRC's Buenos Aires delegation …
Strengthening compliance with IHL: Meeting with a group of States, April 2013
2nd Discussion on Strengthening Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Functions of a possible IHL compliance system and their features 8–9 April 2013 Background document Geneva, March …
National committees
National Committees for the implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) exist in many countries to advise and assist governments in implementing and spreading knowledge of IHL. Setting up …
Contemporary challenges to IHL – Occupation: overview
Under IHL, there is occupation when a State exercises an unconsented-to effective control over a territory on which it has no sovereign title. Article 42 of The Hague Regulations of 1907 defines …
Strengthening compliance with IHL: Initial informal Meeting of States, July 2012
Informal Meeting on Strengthening Compliance with International Humanitarian Law, Geneva, 13 July 2012 Concluding remarks Purpose of the meeting Today’s meeting has allowed us to appraise the …
Toxic chemicals as weapons for law enforcement: a threat to life and international law?
During the past ten years there has been much discussion and analysis of so called "incapacitating chemical agents" and of the use of these toxic chemicals as weapons for law enforcement. The ICRC …
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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.