Wars have limits that must be respected
Given the multiple armed conflicts around the world today, public debate about the rules governing wars is more relevant than ever. What are the limits to wars? What can be done to prevent human …
Skip to main content
Search results
Colombia: Communities tell their stories
Being on the side of the communities most affected by armed conflict and violence means building projects together. During 2023, we worked side by side with those who trusted our teams on the ground. …
Colombia: Rights do not end behind bars
The issue of overcrowding in national detention facilities continued to increase during 2023 and reached 24.5 per cent at the end of the year. This means that the prison population exceeds capacity …
The ICRC in Fortaleza - Leaflet
The ICRC has been present in Ceará since 2018 to assist in responding to the humanitarian consequences of armed violence in the state, and to support the work carried out by the institution at the …
The foundation for political agreements for peace lies in humanity: ICRC Vice President
Beijing (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has recently highlighted the humanitarian perspectives of the escalating global geopolitical tensions at the t Boao Forum for Asia …
Israel and the occupied territories: Key Facts and Figures from 7 October 2023 to 31 March 2024
Six months since the onset of renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, the violence – unprecedented in scale and nature– continues to exact an immense human toll …
Qatar supports ICRC operations in South Sudan
March 28, 2024 ― Doha, Qatar: With funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has signed a grant agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross …
DR Congo: More than 44,000 people receive emergency food aid as violence in eastern provinces intensifies
28-03-2024 Kinshasa (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), together with the Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has provided food aid to over …
Visa Pour l'Image: Call for entries for the 2024 Humanitarian Visa d’or Award
From 28 March to 9 June 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is inviting all professional photojournalists to take part in its photojournalism contest, the ICRC Humanitarian Visa …
Georgia: Remains of 12 people missing in connection with 1992–93 armed conflict handed over to families
Geneva (ICRC) – The remains of 12 people missing in connection with the armed conflict of 1992–1993 in Abkhazia were identified and handed over to their families on 27 March 2024 with the help of the …
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Try one of the following resources:
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.