Ukraine: The unbreakable thread that binds
Imagine how it must feel to be separated from a beloved sister for nine years by circumstances beyond your control. And then, when fighting breaks out in the part of the country where she is living, …
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Nigeria: Lecturers exchange ideas on international humanitarian law
16-06-2015 Abuja (ICRC) – Today the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) kicked off a three-day workshop on international humanitarian law (IHL) in Abuja. At this 11th edition, …
Indonesia: Phone calls help reconnect families
The journey of a migrant can be long and dangerous. Many lose their belongings along the way. But phone numbers of family are often protected – with details carefully written on a piece of paper and …
Zambia: Implementing the ban on cluster munitions in southern Africa
17-06-2015 Lusaka, Zambia (ICRC) – Representatives from nine southern and central African countries are gathered in Lusaka for a two-day seminar, on 17 and 18 June; its aim is to promote adherence to …
Principles in action: How do neutrality and independence contribute to humanitarian effectiveness?
This side event of the 2015 UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, co-organized by the ICRC and the International Federation, is part of the Research and debate cycle …
Principles in action: How do neutrality and independence contribute to humanitarian effectiveness?
This side event of the 2015 UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, co-organized by the ICRC and the International Federation, is part of the Research and debate cycle …
Tens of thousands in dire need of basic services in Syrian town
18-06-2015 Geneva/Damascus - (ICRC) Around 40,000 people are in urgent need of basic services including water and electricity in the Syrian town of Moadamiyah, near Damascus. The town has been cut …
Thailand: ICRC president discusses contemporary challenges to humanitarian action
Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, recently completed a 3-day visit to Bangkok where he delivered the biennial 7th Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Lecture on "Contemporary Challenges to …
Russia: New and old challenges to international humanitarian law – Martens Readings
What did we learn from the Nuremburg trials and how can these lessons be applied in contemporary armed conflicts? This was the question that experts from more than 30 countries sought to answer at an …
What is Economic Security?
The ICRC defines economic security as the ability of individuals, households or communities to cover their essential needs sustainably and with dignity. This can vary according to an individual's …
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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.