New weapons - Factsheet
International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules which seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict. It restricts the means and methods of warfare permitted to combatants and protects those …
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The International Committee of the Red Cross as guardian of international humanitarian law
The ICRC acts as the guardian of international humanitarian law, a complex role that is closely connected with its own foundation and was later formally entrusted to it by the international …
International humanitarian law and the protection of war victims
Extract from "International Humanitarian Law: An introduction", Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva/Paul Haupt Publishers, Bern, 1993. Updated by the author in November 1998. Dr Hans-Peter Gasser, …
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 …
Urban warfare and violence
It is heartbreaking to watch a city you love die. Yet that is exactly what happens when armed conflicts are fought in the middle of cities, endangering the lives of civilians and the infrastructure …
Customary IHL
Customary international humanitarian law (IHL) consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and exist independent of treaty law. Customary IHL is of crucial importance in …
Direct participation in hostilities
A clear distinction between armed forces and civilians is a key element of international humanitarian law. In contemporary conflict, however, the proximity of civilians to military operations and …
Occupation
Recent years have seen an increase in extraterritorial military action. Some of these interventions have given rise to new forms of foreign military presence in the territory of a state, and these …
Protected persons: Missing persons
Many people go missing in war, causing anguish and uncertainty for their families and friends. People have the right to know what has happened to their missing loved ones. Governments, armed forces …
Protected persons: Women
International humanitarian law aims to prevent and alleviate suffering in war without discrimination based on sex. That means that women’s needs must be accounted for. Highlight General and Specific …
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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.