ICRC decision-making structures
The governing bodies of the ICRC, comprising the Assembly, the Assembly Council and the Presidency, have overall responsibility for ICRC policy, strategy and decisions related to the development of …
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Jordan: Helping Syrian families get back in touch
War and harsh living conditions in Syria have driven thousands of families into Jordan where 12,000 refugees have settled in Azraq camp, 100 km east of Amman. Since mid-September the ICRC, through …
Afghanistan: ICRC helps detainees cope with winter
Winters in Afghanistan can be harsh, but few Afghan places of detention can afford proper heating. Every year, the ICRC provides blankets, warm clothing and hygiene items such as toothbrushes, soap …
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Agricultural projects that keep hope alive
Recurring armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is leaving thousands of people destitute by depriving them of many of the resources necessary for survival. By means of agricultural …
Nigeria: ICRC vaccinates 111,000 head of livestock
Fan, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria, 30 October 2014. A livestock specialist from the Plateau State Ministry of Agriculture vaccinates a cow. CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / N. …
Australia: Responding to sexual violence in conflict
Whether in Syria, Central African Republic, or Papua New Guinea, sexual violence continues to be a devastating feature of war and conflict. Despite its prevalence, sexual violence remains in the …
Ethiopia: From despair to joy for two teenagers reunited with their mother
Two Eritrean teenagers, their young lives in ruins, have been reunited with their mother in France following efforts by the ICRC in cooperation with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, the French Red …
Haiti: Improving detention conditions remains a priority
Cayes civilian prison, 2012. ICRC delegates have unimpeded access to all detainees, with whom they can meet privately in their cell. The ICRC has been regularly visiting detention centres across the …
Democratic Republic of the Congo: 152 demobilized children reunited with families
09-01-2015 Families living in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale are due to be reunited with their children today after months or even years apart. The 147 boys and five …
Malaysia: Hemingway inspires first-time IHL mooter
Teams from nine public and private institutions battled it out over two days at the 11th International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, hosted by the University of Malaya's Faculty of Law and …
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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.