Foundation for the ICRC
The Foundation for the ICRC was established in 1931 to help the ICRC fulfil its vital humanitarian mission in both peacetime and wartime. Who we are The period between the First World War and the …
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National implementation of IHL: Documentation
States party to international humanitarian law treaties must take certain legal and administrative measures to comply with the obligations they have undertaken. This section deals with various topics …
Global Initiative to galvanise political commitment to international humanitarian law
Calling for humanity to be upheld in war The Global Initiative to galvanise political commitment to international humanitarian law Despite a global consensus supporting the Geneva Conventions, …
The members of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger President Prior to taking up the Presidency of the ICRC in October 2022, Ms. Spoljaric served as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator of the …
Criminal repression of IHL violations
When violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) occur, states are under an obligation to prosecute alleged offenders. Domestic courts therefore play an important role in enforcing IHL and …
Protected persons: Children
Under international humanitarian law, children affected by armed conflict are entitled to special respect and protection. Highlight Children should be at school, not at war From our archives: …
Autonomous weapons
Autonomous weapons are not a work of science fiction from a distant dystopian future. They are an immediate cause of humanitarian concern and demand an urgent, international political response. …
Protected persons: Persons with disabilities
International humanitarian law (IHL) includes provisions to protect people with disabilities during times of armed conflict and other violence. Highlights ICRC preparing for major expansion of sports …
Arms transfers
The widespread and poorly regulated availability of weapons facilitates violations of international humanitarian law and hampers the delivery of assistance to victims. Strengthening and enforcing …
The Geneva Conventions and their Commentaries
The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in …
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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.