ICRC Library

Created in 1863, the ICRC Library represents alongside the ICRC archives the essential documentary reference on the ICRC and IHL.
ICRC LIBRARY catalogue IHL BIBLIOGRAPHY Research Guides LATEST ACQUISITIONS

The Library of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) makes available to the public:

  • preparatory documents, reports, records and minutes of Diplomatic Conferences, where the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols were adopted;
  • a heritage collection of books published between the creation of the ICRC and the end of the First World War and charting the influence of Henry Dunant's ideas;
  • and a unique collection of military manuals, legislation, case law and other national practice referenced in the ICRC's study on customary IHL.

These comprehensive collections make the ICRC Library's catalogue the most exhaustive resource for research on the ICRC and IHL, with core collections available in full text online.

The library team answers queries by email and provides online and on-site research services. Researchers are welcome to consult print materials and use dedicated study spaces in the Library. See opening hours and contact details below.