Colombia: Humanitarian Report 2024
The civilian population continues to bear the brunt of the war. We wish that the figures we report here for humanitarian consequences belonged to the distant past. However, these figures reflect the …
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Brazil: Meeting of relatives of missing persons marks publication of Family Needs Assessment report
The report describes the needs, the challenges and the expectations of the families of missing persons related to the "Vala de Perus" case. Relatives of missing persons visit the lab where the …
The United Nations and International Humanitarian Law: The International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations' involvement in the implementation of international humanitarian law
International Symposium on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, Geneva, 19-21 October 1995. Paper presented by Dr Hans-Peter Gasser, Senior Legal Adviser, International …
COVID-19: How IHL provides crucial safeguards during pandemics
For people living in war-torn countries, International humanitarian law (IHL) provides crucial safeguards – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. War has not stopped because of the coronavirus …
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 7,000 lives still missing
Tens of thousands of people went missing as a result of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995). Almost 25 years later, 6,126 families are still waiting for information about the fate of their …
Ethiopia Bulletin, January - December 2023
In Ethiopia, the humanitarian needs in areas affected by armed conflict and violence remained sadly enormous in 2023. During 2023, we sustained our efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and …
Messaging apps: an untapped humanitarian resource
31-01-2017 Geneva: New research, led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), suggests messaging apps could play a vital role in humanitarian work in the future. The research carried …
Kenyatta University wins 20th edition of All Africa competition on IHL
Kenyatta University students beat 6 other international teams to emerge winners at the All Africa Competition on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) hosted by the International Committee of the Red …
Sustainable development at the ICRC, annual report 2013
This report, which covers the year of 2013, provides an update on the implementation of the Framework for Sustainable Development at the ICRC. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013 …
Strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law: The work of the ICRC and the Swiss government (2015-2019)
Following a resolution adopted by the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, between 2015 and 2019 Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) jointly …
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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.