An inevitable trajectory of humanitarian needs?
… over human life. Powerful explosive weapons are deployed in urban areas with little … will be a catastrophic third world war or a nuclear attack in their lifetimes. But it is …
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We help people affected by armed conflict
… in some parts of the world. They often carry weapons and actively take part in the fighting. … chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials can have long-term effects on … of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear nature). The exact nature of the risks …
The ICRC calls on all States to affirm that IHL applies to, and therefore restricts, cyber operations during armed conflicts
… Justice, Legality of the Use by a State of Nuclear Weapons in Armed Conflict, Advisory Opinion, …
IHL Day 2020: Preserving human dignity in times of armed conflict
… of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Only seven more ratifications …
Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders commit to accelerate efforts to tackle rising humanitarian challenges
… efforts to work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. "Urban warfare has a devastating …
150 years of humanitarian action
… The Korean War is fought under the shadow of nuclear weapons at the start of the Cold War. ICRC …
Malaysia: IHL conference commemorates 150 years of the first Geneva Convention
… medical units and the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. Participants at the first of two panel …
Constraints under International Law on Military Operations in Outer Space during Armed Conflicts
… cost for civilians on earth of the use of weapons and other military operations in, or in … • The placement in orbit of objects carrying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass … of Justice, Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, Advisory Opinion, 8 July 1996, …
The UN General Assembly must focus on the most vulnerable people caught in conflict
… ceremony of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. "The choice to 'focus on people' is …
Topics, debates and disarmament
… and the environment, and regulations on weapons use, including bans on biological, … of weapons. Video Let's decide the future of nuclear weapons before they decide ours. Is the world ready to face a nuclear war? No. So let’s ban the bomb. …
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ICRC library
Created in 1863, the ICRC library, alongside the ICRC archives, provides an indispensable documentary reference on the organization itself and international humanitarian law.
IHL treaties
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 IHL
Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.