Abstract
The main instruments of international humanitarian law are the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977. These treaties cover the core aspects of international humanitarian law: protections for certain persons and property that are, or may be, affected by international or non-international armed conflict, as well as general limitations on the methods and means of warfare (the law on the conduct of hostilities). International humanitarian law is, however, not limited to these instruments. Other treaties deal with more specific issues, such as restricting the use of certain weapons. The following sections discuss the ICRC's involvement in the development and negotiations of the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti- personnel Mines and of the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court as case studies. They provide a good indication of the varied and dynamic functions played by the ICRC in the development of international humanitarian law.
Recommended Citation
Dörmann, Knut and Maresca, Louis
(2004)
"The International Committee of the Red Cross and Its Contribution to the Development of International Humanitarian Law in Specialized Instruments,"
Chicago Journal of International Law:
Vol. 5:
No.
1, Article 15.
Available at:
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cjil/vol5/iss1/15