Principles and rules of international humanitarian law limiting States in their freedom to use weapons have been included in treaties for a long time. The most pertinent provisions can be found in the 1907 Hague Regulations and - the most recent general codification - the 1977 Additional Protocols.

In addition to these general rules, which apply grosso modo to all weapons and methods of warfare, a number of treaties apply to specific weapons, such as the four protocols annexed to the 1980 UN Convention on Conventional Weapons (regulating in particular the use of landmines, incendiary weapons and blinding laser weapons) or the 1997 Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines.

See also the sections :

Weapons and international humanitarian law

Promoting humanitarian law to armed forces, police and other weapon bearers