The laws of war in a nutshell
The rules of war, or international humanitarian law (as it is known formally) are a set of international rules that set out what can and cannot be done during an armed conflict. The main purpose of …
The rules of war, or international humanitarian law (as it is known formally) are a set of international rules that set out what can and cannot be done during an armed conflict. The main purpose of …
The rules of war, also known as international humanitarian law: Protect those who are not fighting, such as civilians, medical personnel or aid workers. Protect those who are no longer able to fight, …
The 2nd Regional Legislative Drafting Workshop on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 4-5 October 2016. The Colombo Delegation of the International Committee of the …
Violence against health-care has been a growing humanitarian issue with long-term and widespread effects. Attacks against health-care workers, hospitals and ambulances cause disruption in their …
During 2015, the ICRC focused on helping people restore contact with their families, promoting humanitarian law, supporting treatment for cataract sufferers and working with the Indonesian Red Cross. …
The ICRC supports the Ethiopian police with training to reinforce national and international standards pertaining to arrest, detention and the proportionate use of force. This collaboration with the …
"The first memory is of the disappeared, but the second memory is of our search for them." A loved one gone missing will remain with family members for the rest of their lives, and their search …
17-10-2016 Abuja (ICRC) – Wrapping up a four-day visit to Nigeria, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, met today with Nigerian President Muhammedu …
Decades of violence in South Sudan have shattered hopes for a functional medical system. The Waat Primary Health Care Center we support was originally supposed to provide services to some 45,000 …
As fighting intensifies in Mosul, one million people may try to leave and will urgently need food, water and shelter. We are on the ground ready to help immediately. Here is our presence in …
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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.