| 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 2-7-2008 Questions and answers on the Cluster Munitions Convention
The ICRC has warmly welcomed the adoption of the Cluster Munitions Convention. This historic agreement prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions that have caused widespread civilian casualties. (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 brochure Emblems of Humanity.(Humanitarian law) |
25-4-2008 Increasing respect for IHL in non-international armed conflicts
The most widely prevalent type of armed conflict today is non-international in nature. It involves hostilities between government armed forces and organized non-State armed groups or is carried on among members of such groups themselves. A major challenge has always been how to make the rules of IHL known to the opposing sides and how to ensure they are applied.(Humanitarian law) |
15-4-2008 Getting private military and security companies to respect the law
As more military and security tasks are “outsourced” to private firms, questions arise as to what rules govern their behaviour in conflict situations. ICRC legal adviser Cordula Droege comments on an initiative by the Swiss government to promote respect for international humanitarian law and propose some ways of dealing with the issue.(Humanitarian law) |
18-1-2008 International humanitarian law and gender
Report summary. International expert meeting: Gender perspectives on International humanitarian law, Stockholm, Sweden, 4 - 5 October 2007
Meeting co-hosted by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Defence College, the Folke Bernadotte Academy and the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law.(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) |
International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-2003 Towards a single definition of armed conflict in international humanitarian law: A critique of internationalized armed conflict
The traditional distinction between the rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international armed conflicts and non-international armed conflicts is put under the spot-light in this article. The author revives the calls for a single body of law covering all types of conflicts, relying significantly on the judgments of the international tribunals as well as the fundamental objectives and principles of humanitarian law.James G. Stewart (Info resources\International Review\2003 - No. 850) |
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) |
News release 29-11-2007 Ten years on, mine-ban treaty marks progress but still faces major challenges
Geneva (ICRC) – Much progress has been made in the past decade towards eradicating anti-personnel mines worldwide, but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) views the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines (Ottawa Convention), on 3 December, as a time when States should pause to reflect on the major challenges that remain.(News) |
News release 29-11-2007 Democratic Republic of the Congo: ICRC steps up presence at victims' side
Geneva (ICRC) – Following a sharp deterioration in the security situation in the province of North Kivu and a dramatic rise in the need for humanitarian aid there, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has decided to step up its operations in that part of the Congo.(News) |
News release 13-11-2007 Cluster munitions: ICRC regrets inadequate action by CCW States
Geneva (ICRC) – States party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), ending their annual meeting today in Geneva, could only agree to begin negotiating a "proposal" in 2008 on how to address the growing humanitarian impact of cluster munitions.(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) |
25-3-2004
Other sites (Humanitarian law) |
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How is the term "Armed Conflict" defined in international humanitarian law?
