Ensuring Respect For International Humanitarian Law

This book explores the nature and scope of the provision requiring States to ‘ensure respect’ for international humanitarian law (IHL) contained within Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. It examines the interpretation and application of this provision in a range of contexts, both thematic and country-specific. Accepting the clearly articulated notion of ‘respect’ for IHL, it builds on the existing literature studying the meaning of ‘ensure respect’ and outlines an understanding of the concept in situations such as enacting implementing legislation, diplomatic interactions, regulating private actors, targeting, detaining persons under IHL in non-international armed conflict, protecting civilians (including internally displaced populations) and prosecuting war crimes. It also considers topical issues such as counter-terrorism and foreign fighting. The book will be a valuable resource for practitioners, academics and researchers. It provides much needed practical reflection for States as to what ensuring respect entails, so that governments are able to address these obligations.

The third edition of this work sets out a comprehensive and analytical manual of international humanitarian law, accompanied by case analysis and extensive explanatory commentary by a team of distinguished and internationally renowned experts.

Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I: Rules is a comprehensive analysis of the customary rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international and non-international armed conflicts. In the absence of ratifications of important treaties in this area, this is clearly a publication of major importance, carried out at the express request of the international community. In so doing, this study identifies the common core of international humanitarian law binding on all parties to all armed conflicts. Comment Don:RWI.

International humanitarian law (IHL) protects persons and property affected by armed conflicts. Focusing on the controversies that impact IHL in practice, this much-anticipated book from leading expert Marco Sassòli discusses when IHL applies, its substantive rules, how to ensure its respect and whether the traditional distinction between international and non-international armed conflicts remains relevant.

An analysis of the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in international norm creation and the progressive development of international humanitarian law.

Examining the complex relationship between international human rights and humanitarian law, this volume explores the potential for fusing the two regimes into a new legal paradigm.

The essays selected for the first part of this volume offer an insight into the development, as distinguished from the history, of international humanitarian law. The focus of the majority of the works reprinted here is on an analysis of the adequacy of the law as it stood at the time of the respective publication and in the light of existing contemporary armed conflicts and military operations. Thus, the reader is afforded an in-depth look at the early roots of international humanitarian law, the continuing relevance of that body of law despite advances in weapons technology and the efforts to progressively develop it. International humanitarian law's development cannot be considered in isolation from its principles. The essays selected for the second part of the volume deal with the two fundamental principles underlying all of international humanitarian law: humanity and military necessity. The articles on the principles of humanity include reflections on the famous Martens Clause, and the analyses of military necessity take no account of 'Kriegsraison'. Moreover, they offer proof of the customary character of the principle of distinction in land, air and naval warfare.

Según los términos del Artículo 1 Común a los cuatro Convenios de Ginebra de 1949, los Estados partes quedan sujetos a una obligación de respetar y de hacer respetar el Derecho Internacional Humanitario (DIH). En este libro se analiza si la Unión Europea (UE) y dos de sus Estados Miembros –Francia y España– ejecutan su obligación de hacer respetar el DIH. Concretamente, se trata de analizar cómo dos corpus jurídicos originalmente indiferentes el uno del otro, el DIH y el Derecho de la Unión, llegaron a converger y entrelazarse. Se sostiene que la aplicación del DIH ha de ser analizada desde una perspectiva multinivel. Mientras el DIH depende de los Estados para asegurar su efectividad, el proceso de integración europea obliga a añadir el nivel supranacional: la UE. Esta configuración genera un círculo virtuoso de cumplimiento del DIH según el cual la autoridad jurídica del Artículo 1 Común queda reforzada, lo cual conlleva una mejor implementación del DIH. Asimismo, la UE proyecta sus valores en la escena internacional y se ve reforzada en su calidad de líder en materia de derechos humanos. Además, la UE constituye un nivel adicional tanto de garantía como de actuación para sus Estados Miembros, que la usan para dar efecto a sus obligaciones derivadas del DIH. Se sostiene pues, que la UE se ha establecido como un actor esencial del DIH en la escena internacional. La UE –un autoproclamado líder en materia de derechos humanos– y sus Estados Miembros no solamente quedan vinculados por el Artículo 1 Común, sino que han aceptado de ejecutar su mandato de manera efectiva en la escena internacional.