International humanitarian law contains rules which prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons. In addition, specific rules governing these weapons are contained in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. In recent years significant efforts have been made to develop and strengthen this Convention. New rules have been adopted to extend the application of the Convention to internal conflicts, improve the regulations on landmines, booby traps and explosive remnant of war and prohibit blinding laser weapons.

The framework convention contains only general provisions which do not explicitly prohibit the use of specific weapons. Provisions on the prohibition of or restrictions on the use of certain weapons are the object of the four protocols annexed to the convention : Protocol I on Non-Detectable Fragments, Protocol II on Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, 1980,amended in 1996 ; Protocol III on Incendiary Weapons ; Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons ; Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War.

See also Landmines, Explosive remnants of war and Cluster munitions