The ICRC established the International Prisoners of War Agency in Geneva on 21 August 1914. Its role was to restore contact between people separated by war – prisoners of war, civilian internees, and …
This report provides an account of the January 2014 thematic consultation of government experts on conditions of detention and particularly vulnerable detainees. The consultation was part of the …
Cluster munitions have been a persistent problem for decades. These weapons have unique characteristics that make them a grave danger to civilians. These four fact sheets provide an overview of the …
Report of the Second Universal Meeting of National Committees on International Humanitarian Law, March 19-21 2007. The issue of missing persons, in particular, has become a growing concern over the …
People have gone missing as long as men have been fighting wars. The plight of people missing in armed conflict and the suffering of their families has been a consistent concern to the ICRC. This …
This set of comprehensive guidelines outlines a framework and set of principles intended to ensure that the rights and needs of separated children are effectively addressed. Created through close …
This handbook is designed to familiarize parliamentarians with international humanitarian law and to heighten their awareness of the key role they, as political leaders, can play in promoting its …
This manual, elaborated jointly by the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ICRC, is composed of three sections. The first chapter contextualises the issue of persons reported missing following an …
This booklet contains the text of the Convention on Cluster Munitions adopted on 30 May 2008 by the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions. It is intended to promote understanding of the …
From microscopic weapons to fully automated robotic fighting machines, the technology of warfare is changing rapidly. As the first Geneva Convention of 1864 turns 150 years old this year, we look to …
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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.
