Black magic, zombies and dragons: a tale of IHL in the 21st Century

September 3, 2019, Armed Groups / Conduct of Hostilities / Generating Respect for IHL / Humanitarian Principles / Law and Conflict / New Technologies / Scope of application / Technology in Humanitarian Action / Terrorism and IHL
Helen Durham

As we marked the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions last month, I want to ...

Administration of justice by armed groups: Some legal and practical concerns

November 22, 2018, Analysis / Armed Groups / Detention / Law and Conflict
Ezequiel Heffes

Geneva Call recently issued a report on challenges faced by armed non-State actors (ANSAs) in ...

Out of balance: Global counter-terrorism & the laws of war

September 15, 2017, Analysis / Law and Conflict / Scope of application / Terrorism and IHL
Stéphane Ojeda

In recent years, the UN Security Council has strengthened its global counter-terrorism (CT) framework, perhaps ...

Fighting together: Obligations and opportunities in partnered warfare

March 28, 2017, Analysis / Law and Conflict / Partnering in Warfare
Cordula Droege & David Tuck

Partnered warfare — i.e. activities in support of Parties to armed conflict—is a reality that demands attention. For civilians, the sick, the wounded and for ...

Introducing the second multi-blog series on the updated Geneva Conventions Commentaries

February 21, 2017, Analysis / Conduct of Hostilities / ICRC Commentaries / Law and Conflict
The editors

In order to bring to light the significance of the updated Commentary on the First Geneva ...

Behind the scenes: Updated commentary on the First Geneva Convention

February 1, 2017, ICRC Commentaries / Law and Conflict / Online publications
Jean-Marie Henckaerts

Last month saw the publication of the updated Commentary on the First Geneva Convention which ...

Global counter-terrorism must not overlook the rules of war

December 13, 2016, Analysis / Law and Conflict / Terrorism and IHL
Stéphane Ojeda

Branding an armed group as “terrorist” cannot alone cancel the applicability of international humanitarian law (IHL). The vast majority of contemporary armed conflicts ...

Terrorism, counter-terrorism and IHL: Primer on a recurring conversation

November 2, 2016, Law and Conflict / Primers
Ellen Policinski

Terrorism is not limited to any one part of the world. It can be seen everywhere, and is often linked to armed conflict. ...

Modern conflict: Address by ICRC’s vice-president to SWIRMO 2016

October 27, 2016, Events and highlights / Law and Conflict
Mme Christine Beerli, vice-president of the ICRC

Address by Mme Christine Beerli, vice-president of the ICRC, at the opening of the Senior Workshop on International Rules Governing Military Operations (SWIRMO), ...

Taking the high road in military operations

October 19, 2016, Events and highlights / Law and Conflict
Andreas Kaufmann

Many of today’s armed conflicts involve opponents who significantly differ in terms of military capacity and resources. Military experts who recently gathered at ...

e-Briefing: The human cost of nuclear weapons

October 12, 2016, Humanitarian Action / Online publications / Quick Links
The editors

The ICRC’s latest e-briefing exposes the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. It is being ...

Translating IHL into military operations

September 15, 2016, Events and highlights / Law and Conflict
The editors

Most of today’s armed conflicts are characterized by asymmetry between the parties. When faced with opponents who significantly differ in terms of military ...

non-state armed groups