News Section Promoting international humanitarian law Section on how the ICRC promotes international humanitarian law (IHL) with armed forces and police, university students and other young people.
©ICRC/M. Poretti/cn-n-00012-06
China, 2005
The very spirit of IHL is to use force with restraint and in proportion to military objectives. The organisation therefore seeks to promote the whole range of humanitarian principles so as to prevent — or at the very least to limit — excesses of war.
The ICRC targets in particular those people and groups who determine the fate of victims of armed conflict or who can obstruct or facilitate ICRC action. These groups include armed forces, police, security forces and other bearers of weapons, decision-makers and opinion-leaders at local and international level. With an eye to the future, young people and university students are also targeted. The strategy behind these activities comprises promotion of humanitarian law through teaching and training and integration of humanitarian law into official legal, educational and operational curricula.
1-6-2007 Promoting international humanitarian law: extract from ICRC Annual Report 2006Relations with the media - Armed, security and police forces, and other bearers of weapons - Decision-makers and opinion-formers - Communication research, methodology and field support Preventive mine-action operations (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Annual Report 5-5-2008 26th course on international humanitarian lawWarsaw, Poland, 30 June to 10 July 2008 Open to students and lecturers trained in public international law and to professionals dealing with IHL-related situations. Includes lectures on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols, and case studies exploring the application of IHL to contemporary armed conflict.(Info resources\Events) Event Includes PDF 4-4-2008 International Humanitarian Law Summer CourseUniversity of Ottawa, Canada, 1 - 6 June 2008 The goal of this course is to offer a course to teach students and professionals the fundamentals of IHL and the opportunity to apply this knowledge through hypothetical, yet realistic, case studies. The organizers welcome applications from students, academics, government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, the media and international business.(Info resources\Events) Event 19-2-2008 Republic of the Congo: Using theatre to promote humanitarian valuesThe ICRC has been raising awareness of humanitarian values among people in the Pool region, including ex-combatants, with the help of an entertaining medium adapted for the local context. Report by Ariane Tombet, head of delegation in the Republic of the Congo. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Brazzaville) Feature Includes Photo 11-4-2008 Violence and the use of forceThe line separating disturbances and tensions from armed conflict can sometimes be blurred and the only way to categorize specific situations is by examining each individual case. The intensity of violence is the key determining factor. This categorisation has direct consequences for the armed forces and civil authorities as it does for the victims of the violence. It determines which rules apply and the protection they provide is established in greater or lesser detail according to the legal situation. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Prevention) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 30-6-2002 Preventive action: understanding the concept and defining the ICRC’s role in preventing armed conflicts(Info resources\International Review\2002 - No. 846) International Review of the Red Cross 31-12-2001 Prevention of forced displacements of civilian populations — possibilities and limits(Info resources\International Review\2001 - No. 844) International Review of the Red Cross 31-12-2001 The role of the ICRC in preventing armed conflict :its possibilities and limitations(Info resources\International Review\2001 - No. 844) International Review of the Red Cross 31-3-2001 Teaching international humanitarian law:
An overview of an ICRC dissemination programme(Info resources\International Review\2001 - No. 841) International Review of the Red Cross 30-9-2000 Journalists' reports cannot prevent conflict(Info resources\International Review\2000 - No. 839) International Review of the Red Cross 30-9-2000 Conflict prevention and conflict resolution: limits of multilateralism(Info resources\International Review\2000 - No. 839) International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-1995 Dissemination of the humanitarian rules and cooperation with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the purpose of prevention (Info resources\International Review\1995 - No. 306) International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-1995 Dissemination and preventive action : before, during, and after the crisis(Info resources\International Review\1995 - No. 306) International Review of the Red Cross 30-6-1995 From prevention to rehabilitation : action before, during and after the crisis : the experience of the ICRC in retrospect*(Info resources\International Review\1995 - No. 306) International Review of the Red Cross 28-1-2004 Preventing Genocide: threats and responsibilitiesAt the Stockholm International Forum, organized by the Swedish government on 26-28 January 2004, ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger highlighted lessons that had to be learned from horrors such as the Holocaust and Rwanda. (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Official Statement 26-1-2001 Civilian-military relations and cooperation in humanitarian emergencies: View from the International Committee of the Red CrossWorkshop organized by the Swiss Development Agency, Bern, 26 January 2001. By Meinrad Studer, Diplomatic Adviser, International Organizations Division, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva. (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Official Statement 23-9-1998 Humanitarian Intervention and Prevention in Post Cold War Conflicts: a Global ResponsibilityInternational Chamber of Commerce, Geneva Business Dialogue. Address by Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 23 September 1998. (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Official statement 4-11-1997 Some questions and answers regarding the ICRC and preventive actionRound Table on "Preventive Action" Copenhagen, 2 - 4 November 1997. Address by Mr René Kosirnik, Deputy Director of International Law and Policy, ICRC. (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Official statement 3-6-1995 Improving respect for international humanitarian law: a major challenge for the ICRCFourth George Seward lecture, International Bar Association, Geneva, 3 June 1994. Statement by Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) Official statement 31-7-2004 What makes people behave the way they do in war?The dissemination of international humanitarian law has long been a priority for the ICRC, and many National Societies are also active in its promotion. But is it really possible to influence those who, directly or indirectly, are actors in war? Are there ways to change their perceptions and behaviour? A recent ICRC study attempted to find some answers - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 2, 2004 (Focus\Social research on war) Press article 28-2-2006 Regional plan of action for the implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) at the Arab level for the year 2006Fifth regional meeting of Arab governmental experts on national implementation of international humanitarian law, Cairo, Egypt, 25-28 February 2006 (ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) 1-5-1998 ICRC Special report: Stemming the tide of violence
ICRC activities in relation to the international community's prevention strategies(ICRC Activities\Promoting IHL) |