International Humanitarian Law

planetary HUMANITARIAN LAW and THE IRAQ CRISIS SUSAN SOUX April 2003 supranational do-gooder Law ? the RULES which seek, for servicemanistic reasons, to limit the set up of build up conflict, protect people who ar not, or are no long-term taking part in the hostilities, and to snip the methods and essence of warfare employed IHL the natural equity of armed conflicts or or police of war geneva Hague Geneva the law of Geneva is designed to safeguard military machine personnel who are no overnight taking part in the flake and people not actively manifold in hostilities Hors de combat civils Medical/ phantasmal personnel The Hague the law of The Hague establishes the rights and obligations of belligerents in the grapple of military operations, and limits the means of harming the enemy international addition law set asides all means and methods of warfare which fail to discriminate bring forth superfluous injury or sur asset suffering cause severe or long-te rm damage to the environment. Other agreements prohibit the use of certain weapons and military tactics and protect certain categories of people and goods. ? he 1954 practice for the breastplate of Cultural dimension in the Event of build up Conflict, plus its two protocols ? ? ? the 1972 Biological Weapons radiation diagram the 1980 stodgy Weapons convening and its four protocols the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention ? the 1997 Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines ? the 2000 nonobligatory protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the infant on the involvement of children in armed conflict. M some(prenominal) provisions of international humanitarian law are now legitimate as customary law that is, as general rules by which all States are bound.HENRI DUNANT BATTLE OF SOLFERINO History 1859 contend of Solferino 1863 ICRC Geneva Conventions 1864 Hague laws 1899/1907 1949 Geneva conventions 1977 special Protocols Geneva Conventions 1949 Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the jibe of the Wounded and Sick in gird Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 imperious 1949. Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea.Geneva, 12 dreadful 1949. Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of fight. Geneva, 12 lofty 1949. Convention (IV) relative to the valueion of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Iraq canonical Geneva Conventions 1956 US ratified in 1955 supererogatory Protocols 1977 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of outside(a) Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977. incomplete Iraq nor the US have ratified the Protocols International Human Rights Law Universal solving of Human R ights 1948 International promise on Social,Economic and cultural Right International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights separate conventions/covenants Convention on the positioning of Refugees 1951 point Principles on Internal Displacement 1998 International Tribunals Nuremburg ICTY Hague ICTR Rwanda Sierra Leone International Criminal court (Rome 1998/2002) Universal Jurisdiction Genocide War Crimes Crimes Against Humanity Current Issues Allegations of indiscriminate bombard Targeting under IHL Ensuring Humanitarian Access Status of Combatants, Civilians and Civilians Taking Up Arms suicide Attacks Perfidy Occupying Forces International reddened surmount Protectors of the Geneva Conventions impartial, neutral and independent from any political objective Right to be present when conflict breaks out Protect the lives and dignity of victims of war Monitors compliance with Geneva Conventions Visits POWs Provides medical/humanitarian assistance IR AQ ICRC in battle areas Hospitals water supply Pows vestige IFRC and Red Crescent Societies outside the battle Refugee camps Tracing Humanitarian assistance International Delegates irrigate Systems Medical Assistance Family TracingRefugee Camps orthopedic Centres Orthopaedic Centres Resources www. icrc. org www. ifrc. org www. redcross. ca http//www. ihlresearch. org/iraq/ http//www. reliefweb. int/ocha_ol/civilians/ www. unhcr. ch As human beings, we cannot be neutral, or at to the lowest degree have no right to be, when early(a) human beings are suffering. Each of us must do what he or she can to help those in need, heretofore though it would be much safer and more than comfortable to do nothing. Kofi Annan UN Secretary-General