Search results
- Protect those who are not fighting, such as civilians, medical personnel or aid workers.
- Protect those who are no longer able to fight, like an injured soldier or a prisoner.
- Prohibit targeting civilians. Doing so is a war crime.
- Recognize the right of civilians to be protected from the dangers of war and receive the help they need. Every possible care must be taken to avoid harming them or their houses, or destroying their means of survival, such as water sources, crops, livestock, etc.
For instance, there are rules protecting non-participants, prisoners and the wounded. These rules are set out in international humanitarian law. Yes, even wars have limits. And attacking civilians constitutes a war crime.
What are the rules of war? War leaves scars, both visible and invisible. Even amidst the chaos, there's a glimmer of hope: international humanitarian law (IHL). Think of it as the rulebook of war, agreed upon by every nation on Earth.
- Introduction
- Political Engagement
- Box 1: Arms Control Treaties, Conventions and Regimes
- Box 2: UK National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (WPS) 2018-2022
- Box 3: Children and Armed Conflict
- Box 4: Persons with Disabilities and Armed Conflict
- Strengthening Accountability
- Box 5: The Responsibility to Protect
- Box 6: Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative
- Peace Support Operations
This paper provides an update to March 2020 on the UK approach to the Protection of Civilians (PoC) in armed conflict situations. It builds on the UK’s PoCstrategy paper published in 2010, and has been drafted following consultation with non-governmental organisations, civil society, academics and others. The update was written before the outbreak ...
Protecting civilians is at the core of the UK’s policies to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts around the world. This involves working bilaterally and multilaterally not only on resolution of the conflict itself, but also to ensure that the parties involved respect their obligations under international law, and to condemn violations of those obl...
The UK is a leading supporter of multilateral arms control treaties, conventions and regimes that protect civilians from the effects of banned weapons and illicit arms flows. The illegal and unregulated flow of weapons fuels violence and contributes to civilian deaths in conflict. As a Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Cluster...
The WPSagenda exists to promote and fulfil women’s human rights and achieve gender equality, as part of efforts to build more peaceful and stable societies for all. It is structured around four pillars of prevention, protection, participation and relief and recovery. The UK is committed to putting women and girls at the centre of all our efforts to...
The CAAC agenda achieved international recognition in 1996 following the publication of a report by Graça Machel titled the “Impact of Armed Conflict on Children”. Her report highlighted the disproportionate impact of war on children and identified them as the primary victims of armed conflict. This report directly led to the creation of the mandat...
On 20 June 2019, the SC unanimously adopted resolution 2475, on the impact of armed conflict on persons with disabilities in which the UK, alongside Poland, held the pen. The resolution urges “all parties to armed conflict to take measures, in accordance with applicable international law obligations to protect civilians, including those with disabi...
Monitoring and Reporting of Human Rights and IHL
Effective and independent monitoring and reporting of compliance with IHL, human rights and refugee law in situations of conflict is critical to raise awareness of protection issues and provides the necessary evidence base for timely political and legal action. Within their mandate and agreed resources, we support the strengthening of human rights units in UN peacekeeping operations. We similarly promote and support the deployment of UN civilian human rights monitors to countries affected by...
The UK remains committed to the Responsibility to Protect, a global political concept that all UN members endorsed at the 2005 World Summit in New York, R2P has not, however, received consistent, active support in the Security Council or among the wider UN membership. The World Summit Outcome Document recognises that States are primarily responsibl...
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, leads on PSVIcross government. During conflict and humanitarian crises, incidences of physical and sexual violence often significantly increase due to insecurity and the breakdown of social and protective systems. Sexual violence can be perpe...
The UK contributes strongly to both the policy and the delivery of peacekeeping. As a member of the UNSC, the UK has a key role in setting the mandates for peacekeeping missions. Working alongside our partners in the Council, we seek to ensure that all missions are mandated to protect civilians where relevant to the situation. All new UN peacekeepi...
The law of war is a component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (jus ad bellum) and the conduct of hostilities (jus in bello). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, occupation, and other critical terms of law.
What are the rules of war? 10 things they do. FAQ. The rules of war, or international humanitarian law, set out what can and cannot be done during an armed conflict. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are at the core of this law.
People also ask
Do wars have limits?
What is a law of war?
What are the rules of war?
What is the law of armed conflict?
What are some modern laws of war?
What are the principles underlying laws of war?
International humanitarian law (IHL), is also known as the law of war or the law of armed conflict. IHL is a set of rules which seek – for humanitarian reasons – to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects individuals who are not, or are no longer, participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.
