ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog
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ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Humanitarian Law & Policy blog is a unique space for timely analysis and debate on international humanitarian law (IHL) issues and the policies that shape humanitarian action.
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Goodbye is the hardest part: why is ending violence so difficult for non-state armed groups?
For groups involved in long-running non-international armed conflicts, the decision to end the use of violence poses significant challenges – even whe...
Dialogue, dignity, and the humanitarian contribution to peace
The number of conflicts continues to rise – with the ICRC currently classifying some 130 armed conflicts worldwide – while at the same time, they are...
The risks and legal limits of involving ‘self-defence groups’ in non-international armed conflict
Across contemporary armed conflicts, the presence of civilian groups who take up arms to defend their communities raises enduring and complex legal ch...
Why we must defend humanitarian storytelling in a divided world
For as long as humans have existed, stories have been our bridge to one another. Today, in a world shaped by digital networks, synthetic media, and hy...
Complying with IHL in large-scale conflict: navigating complexities in the Asia-Pacific
The waters stretching from the Eastern Indian Ocean through Southeast and East Asia to the Western Pacific sustain global trade, host abundant marine...
‘Constant care’ must be taken to address bias in military AI
As many states, especially those with large and resourceful militaries, are exploring the potential of using artificial intelligence (AI) in targeting...
Warfare at the speed of thought: can brain-computer interfaces comply with IHL?
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are no longer speculative technologies of future warfare – they are being field-tested by countries such as the Unite...
How AI learns, and what it misses: why data selection matters in humanitarian action
How AI learns, and what it misses: why data selection matters in humanitarian action by ICRC Law and Policy
An evitable catastrophe: reclaiming humanity from the nuclear brink
On August 6th and 9th 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki became the first – and so far only – targets of nuclear weapons in warfare, killing over 100,000 pe...
International humanitarian law and connectivity disruptions during armed conflict
“Without information and telecommunication, people don’t know where to go for safety,” the ICRC reported from an ongoing armed conflict. Another human...
Offline and in danger: the humanitarian consequences of connectivity disruptions
As people around the world become increasingly reliant on digital and telecommunications networks to access essential services, contact loved ones, an...
Photographing humanity: hope amid crisis in Myanmar
When a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025, it tore through communities already living under the shadow of armed conflict and chronic...
Respect for the dead under Islamic law: considerations for humanitarian forensics
In contemporary humanitarian crises, handling the dead presents significant practical and ethical challenges. With a significant number of armed confl...
Verses of mercy: how Somali oral traditions can mitigate conflict and support IHL
The universality of international humanitarian law (IHL) assumes that its principles transcend cultural, geographical, and political boundaries. Howev...
Reaffirming IHL’s specific protection of hospitals
In today’s armed conflicts, hospitals are increasingly being attacked or misused for military purposes, undermining one of international humanitarian...
Eighty years on: honouring memory, upholding humanity
This year marks eight decades since the Holocaust, a defining moment of human suffering and moral failure. The memory of six million murdered Jews, an...
The shifting battlefield: technology, tactics, and the risk of blurring lines in warfare
The accelerating integration of emerging technologies into armed conflict is transforming not only the tools of war, but its tactics, geography, parti...
Complying with IHL in large-scale conflicts: detention operations in international armed conflicts
Large-scale detention operations in international armed conflicts (IACs) pose significant humanitarian, legal, and operational challenges. Internation...
From “total war” to “total defence”: tracing the origins of civilian involvement in armed conflict
When states adapt “total defence” strategies that mobilize entire populations in preparation for armed conflict, the line between civilian and combata...
The imperative to protect water and water systems during armed conflict
Amid the complexities of contemporary armed conflicts, damage to water infrastructure and the use of water as a means or method of warfare have devast...
Addressing landmine pollution: how the 'polluter pays' principle can help
Landmines, a persistent threat in post-conflict zones, pose severe risks to both human lives and the environment. These explosive devices, often burie...
From disenchantment to a universal culture of compliance: IHL education “2.0”
As public opinion is critical in shaping decision-making during armed conflict, engaging with and informing youth and the broader public about interna...
Complying with IHL in large-scale conflicts: key preparedness measures
As states increasingly focus on strengthening their defense capabilities, discussions on military preparedness are gaining prominence, particularly in...
Anchoring protection: Islamic law contributions to the development of the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions
References to Islamic law made by the delegations of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria during the 1974–1977 Diplomatic Conference – which led to th...
Environmental destruction in conflict: broadening accountability in war
International law recognizes the importance of environmental protection during armed conflict. Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions was the...
Anti-personnel mines: the false promise of security through exceptionalism in war
Earlier this month, Lithuania’s unprecedented withdrawal from the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) took effect. Meanwhile, several states are ope...
Hospitals under fire: legal and practical challenges to strengthened protection
Amid the devastation of armed conflict, hospitals stand as fragile sanctuaries, overwhelmed by demand and depleted of essential supplies. Struggling t...
AI, war and (in)humanity: the role of human emotions in military decision-making
Contemporary armed conflicts are increasingly complex and, through rapid technological development, increasingly remote. This calls into question the...
A steppingstone for more? Progress on the protection of civilian populations from ICT activities during armed conflict
In today’s multilateral disarmament, peace and security, and humanitarian fora, a key responsibility of states – and a challenge for their lawyers and...
A call to make international humanitarian law a political priority
As the devastating impacts of armed conflicts continue to mount, civilians are enduring unimaginable suffering. Violations of international humanitari...
Canada’s first voluntary IHL report: a step forward with opportunities for improvement
Canada recently published its first voluntary report on the implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL), highlighting its efforts to comply...
‘Hybrid threats’, ‘grey zones’, ‘competition’, and ‘proxies’: When is it actually war?
In an era of rising geopolitical tensions, terms like ‘hybrid threats,’ ‘grey zones,’ and ‘proxy warfare’ are frequently used to describe covert and a...
War in cities: a solemn appeal from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
Around the world, civilians in cities at war face immense risks. Urban warfare devastates lives and livelihoods, as people are killed and injured, cri...
If you teach it, they’ll enroll: IHL education in Canadian law schools
Members of armed forces receive international humanitarian law (IHL) training as a matter of course, but they are not the only actors who must apply t...
The (im)possibility of responsible military AI governance
During 2024, efforts to address the governance of military artificial intelligence (AI) have gained momentum. Yet in the same year, we have also witne...
Beyond prevalence: new approaches to measuring sexual- and gender-based violence prevention in conflict settings
When discussing the measurement of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention in humanitarian settings, reactions often polarize around two m...
Trying to square the circle: the ICRC AI Policy
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies brings significant opportunities, and risks, for principled humanitarian action. While AI...
What private businesses need to know about international humanitarian law
Private businesses that operate in situations of armed conflict, do business with a government or other entity involved in an armed conflict, or may d...
Climate action in conflict and fragile settings: closing the implementation gap
Communities in conflict-affected areas are direly impacted by growing climate risks and shocks. Over the last few years, political will to strengthen...
Dehumanizing detention: degrading our collective humanity
Language matters and the protections of international law are crucial when facing global trends of dehumanization. Dehumanizing narratives strip peop...