Protected persons: Civilians
Over the past 60 years, civilians have been the main victims of war. Protecting civilians and their property during armed conflict is therefore a cornerstone of international humanitarian law (IHL). …
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Protected persons: Migrants, refugees, asylum seekers
According to the ICRC’s definition, migrants are people who leave or flee their usual place of residence in search of safety or better opportunities abroad, and who may be in distress and in need of …
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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.