What is International Humanitarian Law?

International Humanitarian Law is the body of rules which regulates the conduct of hostilities and the protection of victims of war. Its sources consists of a number of conventional instruments (amongst them the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Hague Regulations) and customary norms. 

The very nature of IHL requires equal applicability. Regardless of the legal justifications of the use of armed force, IHL prohibits certain conducts to all the parties to a conflict. The principle of equality lies at the basis of IHL.

Admitting that the legality of the recourse to armed force could influence the application of the norms regulating hostilities, would bring them to collapse. All the parties to the conflict would claim the legality of their resort to war to have a free hand in the hostilities.

Highlights:

Israeli Supreme Court Decision on Targeted Killings:

The Public Committee against Torture et al. v. The Government of Israel - HCJ 769/02 - 13 December 2006

 

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fatalities

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IRAQ

Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

Iraq Body Count

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OPT

B'tselem - Statistics

] Kaleidoscope Eyes [

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Focus: The EU and International Humanitarian Law - relevant documents

(source: www.europa.eu.int)

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Guidelines

EU Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (2005/ C 327/04)

EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict (15634/03)

EU - International Criminal Court (relationship)

Council Common Position of 16 June 2003 on the International Criminal Court (2003/444/CFSP)

Council Common Position of 20 June 2002 amending Common Position 2001/443/CFSP on the International Criminal Court (2002/474/CFSP)

Council Common Position of 11 June 2001 on the International Criminal Court (2001/443/CFSP)

Action Plan to Follow Up on the Common Position on the Interntional Criminal Court

Landmines

Council Regulation (EC) of 23 July 2001 (1725/2001)

Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 July 2001 (1724/2001)

The EU Mine Action Strategy (2005-2007)

 

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Focus: Military Occupation in Iraq - Selected Bibliography

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F. Dopagne, P. Klein, “L’ Attitude des Etats tiers et de L’ONU a l’égard de l’Occupation de l’Irak” in K. Bannelier, L’Intervention en Irak et le Droit international, 2004, pp. 325-341.

 

K. Dormann, L. Colassis, “International Humanitarian Law in the Iraq Conflict”, in German Yearbook of International Law, 2004, pp 293-342.

 

J.C. Llorens Cardona, “Libération ou Occupation? Les Droits et Devoirs de L’Etat vainqueur”, in K. Bannelier, L’Intervention en Irak et le Droit international, Paris, 2004, pp. 221-250.

 

M. Kohen, “L’Administration actuelle de L’Irak: Vers une nouvelle Forme de Protectorat?”, in K. Bannelier, L’Intervention en Irak et le Droit international, Paris, 2004, pp. 299-315.

 

A. Roberts, “The End of Occupation: Iraq 2004”, in International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 2005, pp. 27-48.

 

M. Sassoli, “Legislation and Maintenance of Public Order and Civil Life by Occupying Powers”, in European Journal of International Law, 2005, pp. 661-694.

 

L.A. Sicilianos, Apres l’Irak: vers une redéfinition des pouvoirs du Conseil de Sécurité, in K. Bannelier, L’Intervention en Irak et le Droit international, Editions Pedone, Cedin – Paris, 2004, pp. 59-82.

 

M. Starita, “L’occupation de l’Iraq – Le Conseil de Sécurité, le Droit de la guerre et le Droit des peuples a disposer d’ eux – mêmes”, in Revue générale de Droit international public, 2004, pp. 886 – 916.

 

H. Tigroudja, “Le Régime d’Occupation en Iraq”, in Annuaire Français de Droit International, 2004, pp. 77-101.

 

S.R. Ratner, “Foreign Occupation and International Territorial Administration: The Challenges of Convergence”, in European Journal of International Law, 2005, pp.695-719.

  

 

 

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Focus: The Situation in Uganda

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Human Rights Watch Report: Uprooted and Forgotten - Impunity and Human Rights Abuses in Northern Uganda - September 2005, Vol. 17, No. 12(A) 

Amnesty International Report: Uganda Concerns about the International Criminal Court Bill 2004 - AFR 59/005/2004 - 27 July 2004

Human Rights Watch Report: Abducted and Abused: Renewed Conflict in Northern Uganda - July 2003, Vol. 15, No. 12(A)

Human Rights Watch Report: Stolen Children: Abduction and Recruitment in Northern Uganda - March 2003, Vol. 15, No. 7(A)

Amnesty International Report: "Breaking God's Command": The Destruction of Childhood by the Lord's Resistance Army  - AFR 59/001/1997 - 18 September 1997

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IHL SELECTED NEWS 

 

21 February 2006 - Darfur Conflict has spilled into Chad, HRW Report says

 

According to a new HRW Report, the Janjaweed militias, at times acting in coordination with the Sudanese Government and the Chadian rebels, are increasingly launching attacks against the Chadian civilian population living across the border with Sudan. The attacks are carried out from bases located in Sudanese Government controlled areas of Darfur. Thousands of civilians, most of them from non-arab ethnic groups, have been internally displaced. The situation might destabilise the Chadian Government in view of May 2006 elections.

 

see: http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/chad0206/chad0206.pdf 

 

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10 December 2005 - Ante Gotovina transferred to the ICTY

 

Former Croatian General Ante Gotovina, after his arrest in Spain on 7 December, was transferred to the detention unit of the International Tribunal for former Yugoslavia today. He will first appear in Court on Monday, 12^th. According to the indictment (first published in 2001 and amended in 2004), Gotovina is:

 

-         individually responsible  of  persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, deportation and other inhumane acts (forced displacement (under art. 5 of the ICTY Statute - crimes against humanity) and of plunder of public or private property and wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages (under art. 3 - violations of the laws or customs of war);

-         responsible as a superior of other inhumane acts (article 5 – crimes against humanity) and murder (art. 3 - violations of the laws or customs of war)

 

The relevant facts allegedly occurred when Gotovina was Commander of the Split District of the Croatian Army and responsible for Operation Oluja - Storm in the Southern part of Krajina. In August 1995, a Croatian offensive (Operation Oluja - Storm) re-conquered Krajina in 72 hours and brought to the end the existence of a self proclaimed Serb Republic in the region. The indictment alleges that the operation aimed to permanently removing the Serb population from the region and that Croatian forces killed no less than 150 Serbs and subjected others to inhumane treatment humiliation and degradation. Serbian property, towns and villages were largely destroyed and plundered.

 

see: http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/got-ai040224e.htm  (10/12/2005)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4514150.stm

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0,36-719268,0.html

 

8 December 2005 - Third Protocol to the Geneva Conventions Adopted: An additional emblem for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

The Representatives of the 192 States parties to the Geneva Conventions adopted today a third additional protocol.  The Protocol, which was adopted by majority (98 in favour; 27 against; 10 abstentions), provides for an additional symbol for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The third protocol emblem is a red crystal on white background. National Societies may choose to incorporate within it a distinctive emblem recognised by the Geneva Conventions; a combination of recognised emblems; another emblem in use by a contracting party. The adoption of the Protocol paves the way for Israeli Magen David Adom to join the Movement. The Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent has convened in 2006 an International Conference of States parties to the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the member Societies of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. At the conference the statutes of the Movement should be amended in light of the existence of the new emblem.

 

see:

http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/emblem-news-081205

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0,36-718762,0.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/655787.html (10/12/2005).

 

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