An expert meeting was organized in December 2003 by the ICRC and the Geneva-based University Centre for International Humanitarian Law. The discussions focused specifically on multinational forces acting on the basis of a UN mandate, under either UN, national or regional command. A complete report is now available to download.

Extract from ICRC publication "International humanitarian law: answers to your questions"

The aftermath of the invasion of Iraq set unprecedented challenges to the United Nations in the political and in the human rights spheres. The article looks at its role in Iraq from the angle of the involvement of the Security Council, the legal context, the protection of human rights and the strife for reconciliation, sovereignty and inclusiveness.

The post Cold War period has witnessed an increasing "militarization" of humanitarian action. Today armed forces are deployed on peace-keeping missions and mandated to carry out humanitarian operations. The distinction between humanitarian, political and military action is thus increasingly blurred. The article sets out to analyse the ICRC's views on this civil-military relationship in contemporary humanitarian environment.

In this article the author points out the similarity between military occupations and certain activities by international organizations. It therefore examines the question whether the international of law of occupation is applicable and if so, adequately, to these activities, and more specifically to international transitional civil administrations. The experiences in Kosovo and East-Timor serve as examples and may lead to some important lessons for dealing with the current situation in Iraq.

Report on the Expert meeting on multinational peace operations
Organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross in cooperation with the University Centre for International Humanitarian Law, Geneva, 11-12 December 2003.

United Nations, General Assembly, 64th session, Fourth Committee, Item 33 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 26 Octobre 2009

United Nations, General Assembly, 63rd session, Fourth Committee, Item 31. Statement by the ICRC, New York, 24 October 2008.

Keynote address by Dr Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC, at the 31st round table on current issues of international humanitarian law that took place at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, 4 September 2008

Session II: A Review of Past Practice Peacekeeping and Nation-building, Organized jointly by UNITAR and the Institute of Policy Studies of Singapore March 2005, Hiroshima, Japan. By Jean Abt, member of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

31st Round Table on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law, San Remo, 4-6 September 2008. International Institute of Humanitarian Law in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross.