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News Section Nuclear weapons and international humanitarian law  Hiroshima 6 August 1945 8h15 - Watch of Kengo Futagawa who died on 22 August 1945. ©Photo published with the kind permission of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.Today there is no comprehensive and universal prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons in either customary or conventional international law. Nonetheless, on 8 July 1996 the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, gave an Advisory Opinion about the Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The 14 judges of the Court examined current treaty law, customary rules and State practice with regard to nuclear weapons and, based on their analysis, concluded unanimously that the principles and rules of international humanitarian law apply to the use of nuclear weapons. They added that the use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.  Key document30-9-2005 The International Committee of the Red Cross and nuclear weapons: From Hiroshima to the dawn of the 21st centuryThe question of the lawfulness of the use of nuclear weapons and that of their possible prohibition have therefore been the subject of repeated discussions since 1945, without any success being achieved. either in reaching a definitive conclusion as to their lawfulness or in
negotiating a general agreement to ban them. (Info resources\International Review\2005 - No. 859) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 18-3-2003 The ICRC and the nuclear weapon: the story of an uncomfortable paradox(Humanitarian law\Weapons\Nuclear weapons) 4-3-2003 Use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons: current international law and policy statementsInformation note to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies about the ICRC position (Humanitarian law\Weapons) International Review of the Red Cross30-6-2007 Who will assist the victims of use of nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical weapons – and how?It is uncertain who will assist the victims of use of nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical weapons if an international response is required and how this assistance can be provided without undue risk to those providing it. The use of such weapons presents a variety of risks and the political and security implications are serious and complex. This article shows the difficulties inherent in assisting the victims of use of nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical weapons. (Info resources\International Review\2007 - No. 866) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 30-9-2005 Use of nuclear and radiological weapons by terrorists?The hurdles for terrorists to get a nuclear weapon are extremely high. The probability of terrorist use of such a weapon is therefore extremely low. In contrast to the nuclear weapon case there are in principle no insurmountable obstacles to the acquisition and use of radiological weapons by a well-organized terrorist group, even though such an action remains high-tech and thus very difficult. (Info resources\International Review\2005 - No. 859) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 30-6-2001 The ICRC and the 1962 Cuban missile crisisThis article deals with the unusual role the ICRC was ready to play in that crisis and sheds new light on how it came to be engaged in these highly political matters. (Info resources\International Review\2001 - No. 842) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 28-2-1997 International Review of the Red Cross, 1997 - No. 316 Special issue: the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of nuclear weapons and international humanitarian law (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Nuclear weapons) International Review of the Red Cross 31-8-1996 International humanitarian law and nuclear weaponsOn 8 July 1996, the International Court of Justice gave its advisory opinion in response to two enquiries as to the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons (Info resources\International Review\1996 - No. 313) International Review of the Red Cross  |
