| International humanitarian law (IHL) Section explaining international humanitarian law (IHL), its role in the protection of victims of war and its relationship with the work of the ICRC. The main treaties are the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols 20-10-2008 The Convention on Cluster Munitions: Time to Act
In May 2008, more than 100 States adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of such munitions. It also requires States Parties to destroy their stockpiles, clear remnants, and assist victims. (Humanitarian law) |
19-9-2008 Governments acknowledge duty to control private military and security companies
A meeting in the Swiss town of Montreux has reaffirmed States’ obligations regarding private military and security companies in war zones. Two key points of a document agreed by 17 nations are that delegating tasks to a contractor does not relieve a State of its responsibilities, and that governments should not let contractors take part in combat operations.(Humanitarian law) |
28-7-2008 The emblems: in the service of conflict and disaster victims
The red cross, red crescent and red crystal emblems are visible symbols of the protection afforded to war victims under the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. They also stand for the neutrality of those who bear them and indicate membership of the Movement. See also the photo galery.(Humanitarian law) |
30-10-2008  Humanitarian Actors – Commitment to the protection of IDPs
Address by Angelo Gnaedinger, Director-General, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ten years of Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, Achievements and Future Challenges, Oslo, Conference 16-17 October 2008(Humanitarian law) |
7-4-2004
Other documents of interest
(Humanitarian law) |
Official Statement 23-4-2005 Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Refugee Law – Three Pillars
International humanitarian law, refugee law and human rights law are complementary bodies of law that share a common goal, the protection of the lives, health and dignity of persons. They form a complex network of complementary protections and it is essential that we understand how they interact. Statement at the International Association of Refugee Law Judges world conference, Stockholm, 21-23 April 2005, by Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, ICRC Legal Adviser.(Humanitarian law\Refugees and IDPs) |
26-12-2007 The interplay between international humanitarian law and international
human rights law in situations of armed conflict
International human rights law and international humanitarian law are traditionally two distinct branches of law, one dealing with the protection of persons from abusive power, the other with the conduct of parties to an armed conflict. Yet, developments in international and national jurisprudence and practice have led to the recognition that these two bodies of law not only share a common humanist ideal of dignity and integrity but overlap substantially in practice.(Humanitarian law) |
News release 27-11-2008 Victims of armed conflict face increased vulnerability in 2009
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is asking donors for more than 1.1 billion Swiss francs (714 million euros / 939 million US dollars) to fund its worldwide efforts to help people affected by armed conflict and other violence in 2009.(News) |
News release 11-9-2008 Congo-Kinshasa: Thousands of civilians affected by renewed fighting
Kinshasa / Geneva (ICRC) – After several months of relative calm, the conflict between government troops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the armed opposition movement of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) has flared up in North Kivu province in the east of the country, with heavy fighting taking place since late August. Clashes have also occurred in South Kivu, particularly affecting the town of Numbi.(News) |
News release 6-9-2008 Philippines: ICRC to step up humanitarian response in Mindanao
Manila (ICRC) – The ICRC's deputy director of operations Dominik Stillhart has just finished a visit to the Southern Philippines, where he met some of the thousands of civilians affected by the armed conflict between the Philippine armed forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.(News) |
News release 28-8-2008 Nepal: families of missing persons have a right to know
Kathmandu/Geneva (ICRC) – On the International Day of the Disappeared (30 August 2008), the International Committee of the Red Cross is appealing to the government of Nepal to clarify the fate of those who went missing during the country's 10-year internal conflict.(News) |
News release 22-8-2008 Philippines: Red Cross escorts civilians out of combat zone on Mindanao
Geneva/Manila (ICRC) – As clashes continue between the armed forces and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the southern Philippines, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), supported by the Philippine National Red Cross, has escorted around 900 trapped civilians out of a combat zone to a safer area on Mindanao.(News) |
News release 16-8-2008 Georgia/Russian Federation: ICRC president to visit conflict-affected areas
Geneva/Tbilisi/Moscow (ICRC) – The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, will travel to Georgia and the Russian Federation starting on 17 August to assess the impact in humanitarian terms of the armed conflict involving Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian troops.(News) |
News release 14-8-2008 Philippines: Operation under way to aid more than 80,000 displaced people
in Mindanao
Geneva/Manila (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Philippine National Red Cross have jointly begun bringing aid to the more than 80,000 people displaced in the southern Philippines by recent hostilities between the armed forces and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).(News) |
News release 11-8-2008 Georgia: ICRC to send humanitarian assistance to conflict area
Tbilisi / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is preparing to fly 15 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies to Georgia early this week to help treat people injured in the international armed conflict between Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian troops.(News) |
News release 6-8-2008 Colombia: ICRC deplores improper use of red cross emblem
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today expressed serious concern over what appears to have been a deliberate misuse of the red cross emblem during the operation to free 15 hostages that was carried out on 2 July.(News) |
News release 30-7-2008 Chad: ICRC employee shot and wounded
N'Djamena (ICRC) – On 26 July an employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was shot and wounded in Abéché after two vehicles carrying ICRC personnel were stopped by armed men, some of whom were in military uniform.(News) |
News release 28-7-2008 Iraq: ICRC helps bomb victims in Baghdad and Kirkuk
Baghdad/Geneva (ICRC) – In response to the blasts that rocked the cities of Baghdad and Kirkuk this morning, leaving dozens dead and injured, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) immediately delivered emergency medical supplies to the hospitals receiving the bulk of the injured.(News) |
News release 16-7-2008 Colombia: ICRC underlines importance of respect for red cross emblem
Bogotá/Geneva (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross takes note of the statement by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez that a member of the public security forces who participated in the recent operation to free 15 hostages and detainees was wearing a tabard marked with the ICRC’s logo and the red cross emblem.(News) |
News release 9-7-2008 Afghanistan: Civilians in the line of fire
Kabul / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the high number of civilian casualties caused by recent attacks in different parts of the country. At least 250 civilians are reported to have been killed or injured in various incidents since 4 July.(News) |
News release 12-6-2008 Afghanistan: Civilians in peril as conflict continues
Kabul/Geneva (ICRC) – The protracted armed conflict in Afghanistan is causing great suffering for ordinary people across the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan, meeting today in Paris.(News) |
News release 14-5-2008 Cluster munitions: ICRC urges States to adopt strong treaty in Dublin
Geneva (ICRC) – States preparing to negotiate a new treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians must act decisively to address the scourge of these weapons, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today.(News) |
TV news footage 13-5-2008 TV NEWS FOOTAGE: Cluster munitions
ICRC urges states to finalize new international Treaty banning unreliable and inaccurate cluster munitions(News) |
News release 17-3-2008 Eritrea/Ethiopia: 635 people repatriated
On 14 March 2008, 623 persons were repatriated from Eritrea to Ethiopia under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).(News) |
News release 27-2-2008 Brazil: Haiti peace-keepers briefed on basic humanitarian principles
Brasilia (ICRC) – At the invitation of Brazil’s defence ministry, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) gave a presentation in Brasilia on 21 February on its neutral and impartial humanitarian work and the basic humanitarian principles applicable to the Haitian context.(News) |
News release 14-2-2008 Chad: Emergency aid for new influx of refugees from Darfur
N'Djamena / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is providing aid for some 10,000 refugees who fled their villages for neighbouring Chad during recent fighting near the Sudanese towns of Seleia, Abu Suruj and Sirba in West Darfur.(News) |
News release 13-2-2008 Sri Lanka: Civilian casualties reaching appalling levels
Geneva, Colombo (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties, including children, resulting from the deteriorating security situation across Sri Lanka.(News) |
News release 11-2-2008 Sudan: ICRC worker killed
Geneva (ICRC) – An employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been killed during fighting in and around Seleia, West Darfur. He was a 45-year-old Sudanese national and father of six children.(News) |
News release 4-2-2008 Chad: ICRC and local Red Cross staff on alert in the capital
Geneva/N'Djamena – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) took advantage of a lull in the fighting in N'Djamena today to try to ascertain the number of wounded and the state of the city's medical facilities.(News) |
News release 2-2-2008 Iraq: ICRC helps victims of market blasts
Baghdad (ICRC) - Immediately after the explosions that tore through Baghdad's Al Ghazl market place and a second market in the south of the city yesterday, killing and injuring dozens of people, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided the Baghdad Teaching Hospital with sufficient emergency medical supplies to treat over 100 injured patients.(News) |
| 25-3-2004
See also (Humanitarian law) |
25-3-2004 Promotion of IHL
with armed forces, police, students,... (Humanitarian law) |
25-3-2004 Fact sheets
Issued by the ICRC's Advisory Service(Humanitarian law) |
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