This document summarizes the major developments that took place during 2007 regarding the national implementation of international humanitarian law in the Americas.

The issue of missing persons, in particular, has become a growing concern over the last years and the ICRC remains implicated in efforts to resolve their fate as well as safeguarding the rights and needs of their families. The ICRC Advisory Service on IHL highlighted the theme of missing persons and the pledges made towards resolving this issue during the Second Universal Meeting of National IHL Committees.

The new ICRC guide Punishing violations of IHL at the national level is intended as a practical reference work for lawmakers and others in common law States who are directly involved in incorporating provisions for the punishment of violations of international humanitarian law into national legal systems. It consists of nine stand-alone chapters on issues relevant to the prosecution of grave breaches and other violations of humanitarian law, and international crimes such as genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.

This handbook is designed to familiarize parliamentarians with international humanitarian law and to heighten their awareness of the key role they, as political leaders, can play in promoting its implementation, especially by adopting appropriate national legislation. The work also guides parliamentarians step by step through the measures that States must take to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

Leaflet showing how the ICRC's Advisory Service functions. The purpose of the service is to assist civilian and military authorities in implementing international humanitarian law.

This report on the proceedings of a meeting of experts held in Geneva in October 2000 is intended to identify activities that can ensure protection of cultural property at the national level, and to encourage States to ratify the relevant treaties.

This book contains the proceedings of a meeting of experts held by the ICRC on the implementation, in civil law States, of national mechanisms for repressing violations of international humanitarian law. Case studies are included to give an overview of the existing repression mechanisms in four countries.