Hostage-taking is strictly prohibited under to international humanitarian law. All forms of public exposure that humiliate persons deprived of liberty and endanger their safety must be avoided. We …
Chișinău, 1 September – 15 October 2025 The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cooperation with the Moldovan Association of International Law, invites students to participate in an …
From the operating rooms where life battles death, Egyptian anesthesiologist Dr. Aktham Al-Farnawani recounts his journey from advanced hospitals to those functioning in tents amid crises. In his …
The conflict in Sudan has left thousands dead and displaced more than 13 million people from their homes. Out of the total, South Sudan hosts an estimated 1.1 million Sudanese refugees and South …
Following the first round of consultations hosted between April and June 2025, the ICRC and the 25 co-chairs of the Global IHL Initiative are pleased to announce the second round of consultations, …
On August 30, 2025, the “Youth Think Tank Salon” was held in Beijing by the China-International Development Think Tank Alliance and the Institute of International Development Cooperation (IIDC) of …
02-09-2025 The following is a statement attributable to Katharina Ritz, head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan: The devastating earthquake that …
On Sunday August 31st, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, causing widespread destruction in Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces. Hundreds of casualties have been …
On the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana …
02-09-2025 Geneva (ICRC) – Following a decision by the Government of Azerbaijan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will close its delegation in the country on 3 September 2025. You …
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Created in 1863, the ICRC library, alongside the ICRC archives, provides an indispensable documentary reference on the organization itself and international humanitarian law.
International humanitarian law is based on a number of treaties, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, and a series of other instruments.
Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.
