Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- PART ONE Historical analysis
- PART TWO Policy analysis
- 5 ICRC principles and policies
- 6 ICRC structure and management: personnel, policy making, resources
- 7 The ICRC and international humanitarian law
- PART THREE Conclusion
- Annexe A The ICRC and the Red Cross movement
- Annexe B The ICRC and selected private relief agencies
- Annexe C The ICRC: one of the Big Four relief agencies
- Annexe D The ICRC and selected advocacy groups
- Annexe E The ICRC organizational chart
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - The ICRC and international humanitarian law
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- PART ONE Historical analysis
- PART TWO Policy analysis
- 5 ICRC principles and policies
- 6 ICRC structure and management: personnel, policy making, resources
- 7 The ICRC and international humanitarian law
- PART THREE Conclusion
- Annexe A The ICRC and the Red Cross movement
- Annexe B The ICRC and selected private relief agencies
- Annexe C The ICRC: one of the Big Four relief agencies
- Annexe D The ICRC and selected advocacy groups
- Annexe E The ICRC organizational chart
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
War is so awful that it makes us cynical about the possibility of restraint, and then it is so much worse that it makes us indignant at the absence of restraint. Our cynicism testifies to the defectiveness of the war convention, and our indignation to its reality and strength.
Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars, 46No century [compared to the twentieth century] has had better norms and worse realities.
Rieff: A Bed for the Night, 70Apparently the phrase “international humanitarian law” (IHL) was first used by the ICRC in 1953. In this chapter I will first show that there remains a lack of clarity about the precise scope of IHL. Then I will show that there is often confusion about its relation to international human rights law (HRL). Finally I will show that in relation to IHL the ICRC exercises three roles by whatever name: helping to develop the law, helping to disseminate the principles and rules of the law, and helping to apply the law. The central point of this chapter is not to provide a legal commentary on the specifics of IHL, but rather to discuss its practical relevance to victims of conflicts through the efforts of the ICRC.
A theme running throughout this chapter is that one can overemphasize IHL as a technical legal subject compared to humanitarian diplomacy.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The HumanitariansThe International Committee of the Red Cross, pp. 242 - 278Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005