Customary international humanitarian law : volume I- rules

Abstract

International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law of war or the law of armed conflict, is the area of public international law which aims, “for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare”. War is as old as mankind and so, in a sense, is IHL. Behavior during armed conflict “has always been subject to certain principles and customs”, based on the practices of armies around the world. Since the mid-19th century, however, many such rules have been codified by States in international treaties, like the Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions. Not withstanding this increasing codification of IHL, customary rules remain relevant in contemporary armed conflicts.