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1-01-2007 Weapons and international humanitarian law International humanitarian law contains basic principles and rules governing the choice of weapons and prohibits or restricts the employment of certain weapons, means and methods of warfare. News published over the last 12 months
©ICRC/J. Sohlberg/V-P-iq-n-00054-22
Anti-tank mines and unexploded munitions
As part of its mandate to promote the implementation and development of international humanitarian law, the ICRC seeks to ensure that weapons in use and under development conform to the existing rules.
Combatants are prohibited to use weapons which are inherently indiscriminate or which are of a nature to inflict suffering greater than that required to take combatants "out of action". Weapons which violate the "dictates of the public conscience" may also be prohibited on that basis alone. The use of weapons which cause widespread, longterm and severe damage to the natural environment is prohibited.  Key document18-11-2009 States party to the main treatiesStates party to the main IHL and other related treaties: Protection of Victims of Armed Conflicts - International Criminal Court - Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict - Environment - Weapons (Humanitarian law\Treaties and customary law) Includes PDF 9-10-2009 Weapons: ICRC statement to the United Nations United Nations, General Assembly, 64th session, First Committee, Items 96 & 100 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 9 October 2009 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\64th General Assembly) Official Statement 1-10-2009 ICRC position on an Arms Trade Treaty The ICRC strongly supports the elaboration of a comprehensive, legally binding Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that establishes common international standards for the responsible transfer of conventional weapons and their ammunition, based on States' responsibilities under international law, including international humanitarian law (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Arms availability) Official Statement 28-11-2008 140th Anniversary of the 1868 St. Petersburg DeclarationSpeech by Jakob Kellenberger, president of the ICRC, International Conference on IHL dedicated to the 140th Anniversary of the 1868 St. Petersburg Declaration, St. Petersburg, 24 November 2008 (Humanitarian law\Weapons) Official Statement 26-5-2006 Unregulated arms availability, small arms & light weapons,
and the UN processBackground paper (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Arms availability) Report 21-7-2005 ICRC activities in the field of weaponsThe question of arms and their use has been a concern of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since its establishment in 1863. The founder of the ICRC, Henry Dunant, warned already in 1862 that new technologies threatened to make war more barbaric. (Humanitarian law\Weapons) Official Statement 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) ICRC film13-10-2008 The Convention on Cluster Munitions: Time to ActCluster munitions have been a persistent problem for decades. These weapons have killed or injured tens of thousands of civilians in war-affected countries. In May 2008, more than 100 States adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of such munitions. It also requires States Parties to destroy their stockpiles, clear remnants, and assist victims. This DVD provides an overview of the cluster munitions problem, the main provisions of the Convention and the steps required to meet its commitments. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Humanitarian law) ICRC film Includes Video 29-7-2008 Wound ballistics: an introduction for health, legal, forensic, military and law enforcement professionalsThis DVD explores the impact on human tissue of bullets from rifles and handguns, as well as fragments from explosive weapons – an area of study known as wound ballistics. Designed for instructional purposes, the film has been made for a range of specialist audiences. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Humanitarian law) ICRC film Includes Video ICRC Publication16-10-2008 Cluster munitions: A new treaty to end decades of civilians sufferingCluster munitions have been a persistent problem for decades. These weapons have killed or injured tens of thousands of civilians in war-affected countries. In May 2008, more than 100 States adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of such munitions. It also requires States Parties to destroy their stockpiles, clear remnants, and assist victims. This brochure provides an overview of the cluster munitions problem, the main provisions of the Convention and the steps required to meet its commitments. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Humanitarian law) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 18-9-2008 Convention on Cluster MunitionsThis booklet contains the text of the Convention on Cluster Munitions adopted on 30 May 2008 by the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions. It is intended to promote understanding of the Convention's rules and to facilitate its ratification and implementation by governments. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Humanitarian law) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 10-4-2008 Cluster munitions: Decades of failure, decades of civilian sufferingCluster munitions have been a persistent problem for decades. These weapons have unique characteristics that make them a grave danger to civilians. These four fact sheets provide an overview of the cluster munitions problem, the challenges in clearing these weapons, the difficulties and needs of victims, and the role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in reducing the impact of cluster munitions on civilians. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Humanitarian law) ICRC Publication 16-8-2007 Arms transfer decisions: Applying international humanitarian law criteriaIn recent years, many states have committed themselves to taking the recipient's respect for international humanitarian law into account in their arms transfer decisions. However, the question of how to apply such humanitarian law criteria in practice has so far received limited attention. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Humanitarian law) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 31-5-2007 Expert Meeting Report: "Humanitarian, Military, Technical and Legal Challenges of Cluster Munitions"This publication is a summary report of the ICRC Expert Meeting on the Humanitarian, Military, Technical and Legal Challenges of Cluster Munitions, held 18 to 20 April 2007 in Montreux, Switzerland. This event was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to examine the cluster munitions problem and to consider all possible means of reducing their negative impact on civilian populations. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Humanitarian law) ICRC Publication Includes PDF International Review of the Red Cross30-9-2005 Interview with Terence TaylorMember of the Directing Staff of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and President and Executive Director of IISS-US. (Info resources\International Review\2005 - No. 859) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 30-9-2005 Special issue: Means of warfare Weapons are an integral feature of every armed conflict and conventional weapons will always remain the arms the most used. However, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the potential misuse of advances in life sciences are also working their way up the security agenda. The present edition of the International Review of the Red Cross illustrates some aspects related to humanitarian law and humanitarian action. (Humanitarian law\Weapons) International Review of the Red Cross 31-3-2003 The 1899 Hague Declaration concerning expanding bullets: A treaty effective for more than 100 years faces complex contemporary issues (Info resources\International Review\2003 - No. 849) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF International Review of the Red Cross Interview5-2-2008 Cluster munitions: ICRC calls for urgent actionThe head of the ICRC's arms unit, Peter Herby, explains why the ICRC is calling for national and international action to address the devastating consequences these weapons have on civilian populations. (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Cluster munitions) Interview Includes Photo Official Statement5-3-2009 ICRC position on IHL parameters in an Arms Trade TreatyICRC statement on international humanitarian law parameters in an arms trade treaty, open-ended working group towards an arms trade treaty, New York, 5 March 2009. (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Arms availability) Official Statement 3-3-2009 ICRC position on scope of an Arms Trade TreatyICRC statement on scope of an arms trade treaty, open-ended working group towards an arms trade treaty, New York, 3 March 2009. (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Arms availability) Official Statement 3-12-2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions: ICRC welcomes signing of historic agreementStatement by Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference, Oslo, 3 December 2008 (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Cluster munitions) Official Statement Includes Photo 14-10-2008 Weapons: ICRC statement to the United Nations United Nations, General Assembly, 63rd session, First Committee, Items 89 & 93 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 14 Octobre 2008 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\63rd General Assembly) Official Statement 18-3-2008 The development of an international arms trade treatyA comprehensive global agreement that would strengthen controls over international arms transfers is urgently needed. The continued unregulated supply of weapons to areas where they are likely to be used to violate international humanitarian law demonstrates that existing controls are far from adequate - comments by the International Committee of the Red Cross (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Arms availability) Official Statement 19-10-2007 Tenth anniversary of the mine ban Convention - from mines to cluster munitionsMobilising to stop weapons which keep on killing. Notes from the presentation by Peter Herby, Head of the ICRC Arms Unit, Oslo, 18 September 2007 (Humanitarian law\Weapons) Official Statement 16-10-2007 Weapons: ICRC statement to the United Nations United Nations, General Assembly, 62nd session, First Committee, Items 98 & 102 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 16 Octobre 2007 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\62nd General Assembly) Official Statement 9-10-2006 Weapons: ICRC statement to the United Nations United Nations, General Assembly, 61st session, First Committee, item 90, 94 and 97 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 9 October 2006 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\61st General Assembly) Official Statement 16-11-2005 Weapons and International Humanitarian LawPresentation by Jean-Philippe Lavoyer, head of the legal division, ICRC, Council of Delegates, Seoul, 16 - 18 November 2005 (Humanitarian law\Weapons) Official Statement 10-6-2005 Preventing the use of biological and chemical weapons: 80 years onSpeech delivered by Jacques Forster, vice-president of the ICRC, during the International seminar on the Biological and Chemical Weapons Threat, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases.
and bacteriological methods of warfare. (Humanitarian law\Weapons\Chemical weapons) Official Statement More in this section2-10-2007 Weapons and international humanitarian lawCouncil of delegates of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Geneva, 23-24 November 2007 (Focus\RC Movement\Council of Delegates\2007) Includes PDF 9-2-2000 ICRC involvement in banning or restricting the use of certain weaponsICRC delegation to the 17th annual seminar for diplomats on international humanitarian law, United Nations and New York University School of Law. Presentation by Yves Sandoz, former Director for International Law and Communication. (Humanitarian law\Weapons) Other site31-10-2008 United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)The Office promotes the goal of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and the strengthening of the disarmament regimes in respect to other weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological weapons. It also promotes disarmament efforts in the area of conventional weapons, especially land mines and small arms, which are the weapons of choice in contemporary conflicts. (Info resources\Other sites\United Nations) Other site |
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