The transmission of information by the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency in international armed conflicts

February 29, 2024 11 mins read Access / Analysis / Communications / Detention / Social Protection / Special Themes / The Geneva Conventions at 75 Natalie Klein-Kelly, Karen Loehner & Jelena Milosevic Lepotic

Two years ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Central Tracing Agency activated ...

Foghorns of war: IHL and information operations during armed conflict

October 12, 2023 11 mins read Analysis / Communications / Humanitarian Action / IHL / Technology in Humanitarian Action Tilman Rodenhäuser & Samit D’Cunha

“In war, truth is the first casualty” is perhaps one of the best known aphorisms ...

A safety net for prisoners of war: five key principles of the Third Geneva Convention

April 27, 2023 11 mins read Detention / GCIII Commentary / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Yvette Issar

After the Second World War, countries came together to improve the legal protection available to ...

The status and protection of third-country nationals in international armed conflict

October 6, 2022 8 mins read Analysis / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Ramin Mahnad

In international armed conflict, citizens of non-belligerent States can (and do) find their way onto the battlefield. Whether they arrive as volunteers, security ...

Prisoners of war in contemporary armed conflict: Interpreting the Third Geneva Convention 70+ years after its negotiation

August 11, 2022 18 mins read GCIII Commentary / Law and Conflict Ellen Policinski

Too often the term “prisoner of war” (PoW) conjures up black-and-white images of soldiers detained in the Second World War. Recent events have ...

On trial: the Third Geneva Convention and judicial guarantees for prisoners of war

June 23, 2022 13 mins read Analysis / GCIII Commentary / Generating Respect for IHL / Law and Conflict Yvette Issar

The first prisoners of war (POWs) in the international armed conflict in Ukraine have been ...

In the hands of belligerents: status and protection under the Geneva Conventions

May 19, 2022 10 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIII Commentary / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Ramin Mahnad

When international armed conflict breaks out and people find themselves in the power of belligerent ...

Armed conflict in Ukraine: a recap of basic IHL rules

March 17, 2022 11 mins read Generating Respect for IHL / Humanitarian Action / Humanitarian Principles / Law and Conflict Cordula Droege

For the past two weeks, the world has watched a humanitarian crisis unfold across Ukraine. ...

Sexual violence in armed conflict: the historical limits of humanitarian action and the ICRC in the 20th Century

December 2, 2021 13 mins read Analysis / Gender / Gender and conflict / History / Humanitarian Action / Sexual Violence Daniel Palmieri

Despite clear legal prohibitions, sexual violence remains widespread and prevalent during armed conflicts and other ...

GCIII Commentary: Common Article 1 and State responsibility

January 28, 2021 12 mins read Counterterrorism / Religion Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne

The extent to which States have legal responsibilities under international humanitarian law in relation to the conduct of others has long been contested. ...

GCIII Commentary: an Islamic perspective on the treatment of prisoners of war

January 26, 2021 7 mins read Analysis / GCIII Commentary / History / Islamic Law / Law and Conflict / Religion Ahmed Al-Dawoody

While ratification of the Geneva Conventions is a relatively recent phenomenon, warfare has always been ...

GCIII Commentary: a Buddhist perspective on the treatment of prisoners of war

January 19, 2021 7 mins read Analysis / Conduct of Hostilities / GCIII Commentary / Generating Respect for IHL / History / Humanitarian Action / Humanitarian Principles / Law and Conflict / Religion Asanga Tilakaratne, Peter Harvey, Sunil Kariyakarawana & Andrew Bartles-Smith

While ratification of the Geneva Conventions is a relatively recent phenomenon, warfare has always been ...