If wounded or sick members of the armed forces, prisoners of war and civilians are to be afforded effective protection during armed conflicts, i.e. if international humanitarian law is to be respected by belligerents, it is essential that officers in charge of military operations know the provisions of international treaties limiting the effects of hostilities and protecting non-combatants. That is why the ICRC published this handbook. Senior officers can use it as a code of conduct to instruct their troops and give orders in conformity with the law of war, thereby respecting the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.