| International humanitarian law (IHL) Section explaining international humanitarian law (IHL), its role in the protection of victims of war and its relationship with the work of the ICRC. The main treaties are the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols 25-4-2008 Increasing respect for IHL in non-international armed conflicts
The most widely prevalent type of armed conflict today is non-international in nature. It involves hostilities between government armed forces and organized non-State armed groups or is carried on among members of such groups themselves. A major challenge has always been how to make the rules of IHL known to the opposing sides and how to ensure they are applied.(Humanitarian law) |
15-4-2008 Getting private military and security companies to respect the law
As more military and security tasks are “outsourced” to private firms, questions arise as to what rules govern their behaviour in conflict situations. ICRC legal adviser Cordula Droege comments on an initiative by the Swiss government to promote respect for international humanitarian law and propose some ways of dealing with the issue.(Humanitarian law) |
18-1-2008 International humanitarian law and gender
Report summary. International expert meeting: Gender perspectives on International humanitarian law, Stockholm, Sweden, 4 - 5 October 2007
Meeting co-hosted by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Defence College, the Folke Bernadotte Academy and the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law.(Humanitarian law) |
31-5-2007 30th Anniversary of Additional Protocols I and II
Adopted on 8 June 1977, Protocols I and II are international treaties that supplement the Geneva Conventions of 1949. They significantly improve the legal protection covering civilians and the wounded, and – for the first time – lay down detailed humanitarian rules that apply in civil wars. (Humanitarian law) |
7-4-2004
Other documents of interest
(Humanitarian law) |
Official Statement 23-4-2005 Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Refugee Law – Three Pillars
International humanitarian law, refugee law and human rights law are complementary bodies of law that share a common goal, the protection of the lives, health and dignity of persons. They form a complex network of complementary protections and it is essential that we understand how they interact. Statement at the International Association of Refugee Law Judges world conference, Stockholm, 21-23 April 2005, by Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, ICRC Legal Adviser.(Humanitarian law\Refugees and IDPs) |
26-12-2007 The interplay between international humanitarian law and international
human rights law in situations of armed conflict
International human rights law and international humanitarian law are traditionally two distinct branches of law, one dealing with the protection of persons from abusive power, the other with the conduct of parties to an armed conflict. Yet, developments in international and national jurisprudence and practice have led to the recognition that these two bodies of law not only share a common humanist ideal of dignity and integrity but overlap substantially in practice.(Humanitarian law) |
International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-2003 Towards a single definition of armed conflict in international humanitarian law: A critique of internationalized armed conflict
The traditional distinction between the rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international armed conflicts and non-international armed conflicts is put under the spot-light in this article. The author revives the calls for a single body of law covering all types of conflicts, relying significantly on the judgments of the international tribunals as well as the fundamental objectives and principles of humanitarian law.James G. Stewart (Info resources\International Review\2003 - No. 850) |
News release 14-5-2008 Cluster munitions: ICRC urges States to adopt strong treaty in Dublin
Geneva (ICRC) – States preparing to negotiate a new treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians must act decisively to address the scourge of these weapons, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today.(News) |
News release 17-3-2008 Eritrea/Ethiopia: 635 people repatriated
On 14 March 2008, 623 persons were repatriated from Eritrea to Ethiopia under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).(News) |
News release 27-2-2008 Brazil: Haiti peace-keepers briefed on basic humanitarian principles
Brasilia (ICRC) – At the invitation of Brazil’s defence ministry, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) gave a presentation in Brasilia on 21 February on its neutral and impartial humanitarian work and the basic humanitarian principles applicable to the Haitian context.(News) |
News release 14-2-2008 Chad: Emergency aid for new influx of refugees from Darfur
N'Djamena / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is providing aid for some 10,000 refugees who fled their villages for neighbouring Chad during recent fighting near the Sudanese towns of Seleia, Abu Suruj and Sirba in West Darfur.(News) |
News release 13-2-2008 Sri Lanka: Civilian casualties reaching appalling levels
Geneva, Colombo (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties, including children, resulting from the deteriorating security situation across Sri Lanka.(News) |
News release 11-2-2008 Sudan: ICRC worker killed
Geneva (ICRC) – An employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been killed during fighting in and around Seleia, West Darfur. He was a 45-year-old Sudanese national and father of six children.(News) |
News release 4-2-2008 Chad: ICRC and local Red Cross staff on alert in the capital
Geneva/N'Djamena – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) took advantage of a lull in the fighting in N'Djamena today to try to ascertain the number of wounded and the state of the city's medical facilities.(News) |
News release 2-2-2008 Iraq: ICRC helps victims of market blasts
Baghdad (ICRC) - Immediately after the explosions that tore through Baghdad's Al Ghazl market place and a second market in the south of the city yesterday, killing and injuring dozens of people, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided the Baghdad Teaching Hospital with sufficient emergency medical supplies to treat over 100 injured patients.(News) |
News release 29-11-2007 Ten years on, mine-ban treaty marks progress but still faces major challenges
Geneva (ICRC) – Much progress has been made in the past decade towards eradicating anti-personnel mines worldwide, but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) views the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines (Ottawa Convention), on 3 December, as a time when States should pause to reflect on the major challenges that remain.(News) |
News release 29-11-2007 Democratic Republic of the Congo: ICRC steps up presence at victims' side
Geneva (ICRC) – Following a sharp deterioration in the security situation in the province of North Kivu and a dramatic rise in the need for humanitarian aid there, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has decided to step up its operations in that part of the Congo.(News) |
News release 13-11-2007 Cluster munitions: ICRC regrets inadequate action by CCW States
Geneva (ICRC) – States party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), ending their annual meeting today in Geneva, could only agree to begin negotiating a "proposal" in 2008 on how to address the growing humanitarian impact of cluster munitions.(News) |
News release 27-8-2007 ICRC president visits Colombia
Geneva/Bogotá (ICRC) – Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has arrived in Bogotá for a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with the country's president, Alvaro Uribe Vélez, the minister of foreign affairs, Fernando Araújo Perdomo, and the minister of defence, Juan Manual Santos Calderón.(News) |
News release 17-8-2007 Russian federation: IHL Summer Course opens near Moscow
Moscow – A five-day International Summer School on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) organized by the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is due to open on 20 August near Moscow. (News) |
News release 13-8-2007 Armenia: Summer course on international humanitarian law
The American University of Armenia (AUA) and the ICRC are currently holding a course on international humanitarian law (IHL) for 24 university students and young lawyers. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, combining lectures and case studies.(News) |
News release 13-8-2007 Azerbaijan: Promoting awareness of humanitarian law
Baku (ICRC) – The ICRC is organizing two events in Azerbaijan this summer with a view to promoting awareness of international humanitarian law (IHL) among law teachers, students, lawyers and members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).(News) |
News release 6-8-2007 Mexico: ICRC president meets president of Mexico and addresses regional conference
Geneva/Mexico City (ICRC) – Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is in Mexico City for a three-day visit during which he will meet the president of Mexico and several government ministers and participate in a regional conference on international humanitarian law (IHL).(News) |
News release 26-7-2007 Ethiopia: ICRC deplores expulsion from Somali Regional State
ICRC (Geneva) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the decision by the authorities of Ethiopia's Somali Regional State, where it has been present for over 12 years, to give it seven days' notice to leave.(News) |
News release 29-6-2007 Myanmar: ICRC denounces major and repeated violations of international humanitarian law
Yangon / Geneva (ICRC) – The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, has strongly denounced violations of international humanitarian law committed against civilians and detainees by the government of Myanmar and demanded that the government take urgent action to end these violations and prevent them from recurring.(News) |
News release 14-6-2007 Red Cross / Red Crescent officials meet with Sri Lankan president in Geneva
Geneva/Colombo – Senior officials of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement met in Geneva this morning with the president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, to seek information on action taken by the Sri Lankan authorities after the murder of two staff members of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society earlier this month.(News) |
News release 5-6-2007 Democratic Republic of the Congo: ICRC aids displaced people in North Kivu
The upsurge in fighting and tension in recent months in several parts of North Kivu (eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) has prompted the ICRC to prepare to launch an aid operation in behalf of some 2,000 to 2,500 displaced or returned families in the village of Kalembe within the next few days.(News) |
News release 5-6-2007 ICRC president visits Luxembourg
Geneva (ICRC) – Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has arrived in Luxembourg for a one-day visit during which he will hold talks with Jean-Louis Schiltz, minister for development cooperation and humanitarian affairs, and Lucien Weiler, speaker of parliament, and with members of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation and Immigration.(News) |
TV news footage 5-6-2007 TV News Footage - Too little respect for the laws of war
On the 8 June 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the first two Protocols additional to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. This report shows how violations of the law such as rape against women or the lack of distinction between civilians and military impacts on human lives. (News) |
News release 4-6-2007 Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement condemns murder
of Sri Lanka Red Cross staff
Joint press release by the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Colombo/Geneva – The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement strongly condemns the abduction and murder of two Sri Lanka Red Cross Society staff members which occurred in the capital Colombo on 1 June.(News) |
News release 1-6-2007 Lebanon: ICRC calls on fighting parties to spare civilians
Beirut/Geneva (ICRC) – Following the resumption of heavy fighting this morning in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, near Tripoli in northern Lebanon, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls on all parties involved to spare civilians not taking a direct part in the hostilities and to refrain from attacking civilian infrastructure.(News) |
News release 24-5-2007 Annual report – ICRC boosts aid in face of growing conflict and displacement
Geneva (ICRC) – "The intensification of a number of conflicts around the world in 2006, often accompanied by large-scale internal displacement, caused immeasurable suffering and presented complex humanitarian challenges", said Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on launching the ICRC's annual report to donors in Geneva.(News) |
News release 17-4-2007 Cluster munitions: ICRC hosts meeting of experts
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is holding an international meeting of experts on cluster munitions from 18 to 20 April in Montreux, Switzerland.(News) |
News release 11-4-2007 Iraq: An ever-worsening crisis
Geneva (ICRC) – In a report issued today in Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expresses alarm about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq and calls for urgent action to better protect civilians against the continuing violence.(News) |
News release 4-4-2007 Iraq: Violence continues to plague civilians
Geneva / Baghdad (ICRC) - "Iraq is experiencing a major crisis," says Karl Mattli, who heads the delegation in Iraq of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).(News) |
News release 3-4-2007 ICRC president visits the United States
Geneva (ICRC) – Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is expected in Washington for a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and senior officials.(News) |
News release 14-2-2007 Nepal: ICRC seeks to clarify the fate of more than 800 missing persons
Kathmandu/Geneva (ICRC) – The list of names of more than 800 persons reported missing by their families is to be published tomorrow, 15th February, in Nepal by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in an attempt to obtain information on their fate. (News) |
News release 6-2-2007 ICRC president reaffirms support for convention against enforced disappearance
Paris/Geneva (ICRC) – "No war, no emergency, no national security imperative can justify enforced disappearance", said Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), at the ceremony to open for signature the International Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance.(News) |
| 25-3-2004
See also (Humanitarian law) |
25-3-2004 Promotion of IHL
with armed forces, police, students,... (Humanitarian law) |
25-3-2004 Fact sheets
Issued by the ICRC's Advisory Service(Humanitarian law) |
25-3-2004
Other sites (Humanitarian law) |
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How is the term "Armed Conflict" defined in international humanitarian law?
