Legal advisers in armed forces – Factsheet

Each state must make legal advisers available, when necessary, to advise military commanders at the appropriate level on the application of international humanitarian law (IHL). This obligation, founded in treaty and customary IHL, is a corollary of the customary obligation of states under common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions (GCs) to respect and ensure respect for IHL in all circumstances. It also forms part of the general obligation of states to disseminate IHL under the Conventions, their Additional Protocols and customary IHL.