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Implementing International Humanitarian Law: Problems and Priorities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2010

Dieter Fleck
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Extract

The implementation of international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts must be considered in the light of three basic problems.

First, in time of peace no one wants to think about the kind of situation where this body of law is put into practice. Nor is it easy to foster enthusiasm for legal rules which are beyond people's personal experience. But unless certain efforts are made and steps taken in peacetime, it cannot be expected that these rules will be implemented in time of crisis or war.

Type
National Measures to Implement International Humanitarian Law
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 31 , Issue 281 , April 1991 , pp. 140 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1991

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Footnotes

*

Article based on a lecture given at the Seminar on the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, organised by the ICRC in cooperation with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and the Bulgarian Red Cross, Sofia, 20-22 September 1990.

References

1 At present (February 1991) Protocol I (relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts) is in force for 100 States, Protocol II (relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts) for 90 States.

2 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects, in force for 28 States.

3 Hannikainen, Lauri, Peremptory Norms (jus cogens) in International Law. Historical Development, Criteria, Present Status, Helsinki, Finnish Lawyers' Publishing Company, 1988.Google Scholar

4 Drzewicki, Krzysztof, “International Humanitarian Law and Domestic Legislation with Special Reference to Polish Law”, Revue de droit pénal militaire et de droit de la guerre, Brussels, Vol. XXIV–1–2, 1985, pp. 29–52 (33).Google Scholar

5 See International Committee of the Red Cross and Henry Dunant Institute (eds.), Bibliography of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, second edition, Geneva 1987 Google Scholar, Part V: “Implementation of International Humanitarian Law”, pp. 423–507 Google Scholar; “Implementation of the Protocols”, International Review of the Red Cross, No 217, 07–08 1980, pp. 198–204 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Bothe, Michael and Janssen, Karin, “The implementation of international humanitarian law at the national level — Issues in the protection of wounded and sick”, International Review of the Red Cross, No 253, 07–199Google Scholar; International Institute of Humanitarian Law, 12th Round Table on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law, Refugee Day, and Red Cross and Red Crescent Symposium, Summary of Reports and Discussions on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law (San Remo, 2–5 September 1987) [ Palwankar, Umesh, National Measures for the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law — An Outline of the Present Situation Illustrating Some of the Main Problems, pp. 1–8 Google Scholar; Andries, André, Prevention and Repression of Breaches of International Humanitarian Law — Preliminary Legislative and Other Measures for an Effective Application of International Humanitarian Law, pp. 9–19 Google Scholar; Penna, L. R., Implementation of International Humanitarian Law and Rules of International Law on States Responsibility for Illicit Acts, pp. 20–23]Google Scholar; Veuthey, Michel, “Implementation and Enforcement of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts: The Role of the International Committee of the Red Cross”, The American University Law Review, Washington D.C., Vol. 33 (Fall 1983)Google Scholar, No 1; Veuthey, Michel, “The Humanitarian Network: Implementing Humanitarian Law through International Cooperation”, Bulletin of Peace Proposals, Oslo, Vol. 18, 1987, No 2 pp. 133–146 Google Scholar; Bucher, Hubert, “Die Umsetzung der Zusatzprotokolle zu den Genfer Abkommen ins Bundesrecht”, in Hangartner, Yvo and Trechsel, Stefan (eds.), Völkerrecht im Dienste des Menschen, Festschrift für Hans Haug, Bern and Stuttgart, 1986, pp. 31–45 Google Scholar; Kalshoven, Frits/Sandoz, Yves (eds), The Application of Humanitarian Law, Dordrecht, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987 Google Scholar; Kalshoven, Frits/Sandoz, Yves (eds.), Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, Dordrecht, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1989 Google Scholar; Hampson, Françoise J., “Fighting by the rules: Instructing the armed forces in humanitarian law”, International Review of the Red Cross, 1989, No 269, 03–04 1989, pp. 111–124 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; id., “Winning by the rules: law and warfare in the 1980s”, Third World Quarterly, London, Vol. 11, No 2, 04 1989, pp. 31–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6 Third Programme of Action of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement with respect to dissemination of international humanitarian law and of the principles and ideals of the Movement (1986–1990)Google Scholar, adopted at the 25th International Conference of the Red Cross (Geneva, 1986) in Resolution IV.

7 See: “National Measures to Implement International Humanitarian Law — A new move by the ICRC”, International Review of the Red Cross, No 263, 03–04 1988, pp. 121–140 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Dutli, María Teresa, “National measures for implementation of international humanitarian law”, Dissemination, No 13, 05 1990, pp. 8–10.Google Scholar

8 This point of view has been criticized by Draper, G.I.A.D. in “The Implementation and Enforcement of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and of the Two Additional Protocols of 1977”, Recueil des cours de l'Académie de droit international de la Haye, 1979, III, pp. 5–54.Google Scholar

9 The Roman numerals stand for one of the four 1949 Geneva Conventions, AP I (or II) for Additional Protocol I (or II) of 1977; the Arabic numerals refer to the relevant article.

10 Published in: Revue de droit militaire et de droit de la guerre, Brussels, Vol. XXVIII–1–2, 1989, pp. 11–379.Google Scholar

11 Bothe, Michael (ed.), National Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, Proceedings of an International Colloquium held at Bad Homburg, June 16–19, 1988, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London, 1990.Google Scholar

12 11 December 1990 Law related to the Additional Protocols of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (Bundesgesetzblatt 1990 II 1550).

13 See the present issue of International Review of the Red Cross, pp. 234–236.Google Scholar

14 Das IV. Genfer Abkommen vom 12. August 1949 zum Schutze von Zivilpersonen in Kriegszeiten, Textband (Vol. 1), Eds. Voit, Wolfgang and Rauch, Elmar, Bonn 1980, 293 pagesGoogle Scholar (texts in German, French, English, and Russian); Zusatzprotokolle zu den Genfer Abkommen vom 12. August 1949 über den Schutz der Opfer bewaffneter Konflikte, Textband (Vol. 2), Eds. Voit, Wolfgang and Rauch, Elmar, Bonn 1981, 452 Google Scholar pages (texts in German, French, English, and Russian).

15 Der Schutz der Zivilkrankenhäuser und ihres Personals, Ed. Giani, Hans, Heft 3, Bonn 1980, 79 pagesGoogle Scholar; Zivilschutz, Ed. Bock, Georg, Heft 4, Bonn 1981, 98 pagesGoogle Scholar; Der Schutz im Bereich der öffentlichen Verwaltung, Ed. Hofmann, Walter, Heft 5, Bonn 1982, 79 pagesGoogle Scholar; Polizei (Vollzugspolizei der Länder, Bundesgrenzschutz), Eds. Rasch, Ernst and Joppich, H., Heft 6, Bonn 1983, 74 pagesGoogle Scholar; Heft für Juristen, Eds. Voit, Wolfgang and Bothe, Michael, Heft 7, Bonn 1984, 136 pagesGoogle Scholar; Es begann in Solferino, Eine Darstellung der Genfer Rotkreuz-Abkommen, German Red Cross, 40 pages; Es begann in Solferino, Die Genfer Rotkreuz-Abkommen, Problemfälle — Beispiele — Sachverhalte, Lösung der beschriebenen Fälle, Handbuch für Lehrkräfte, Juristen and Konventionsbeauftragte, Horst Seibt, German Red Cross, 64 pages.

16 Neue Zeitschrift für Wehrrecht; Humanitäres Völkerrecht — Informationsschriften.

17 Zentrale Dienstvorschrift 15 — Dv 15 [Joint Services Manual 15] Humanitäres Völkerrecht in bewaffneten Konflikten [International Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflicts] (under preparation); 15/1 — Grundsätze [Principles]; 15/2 – Handbuch [Handbook]; 15/3 – Textsammlung [Collection of Instruments]; 15/4 — Sammlung von Fällen mit Lösungen [Collection of Cases and Solutions].

18 Roach, J. Ashley, Fact-Finding Commission Under Article 90: Criteria for Implementation, paper presented to the 15th Round Table on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law (San Remo, 4–8 09 1990).Google Scholar See also his article in the present issue of the IRRC, pp. 167–189 Google Scholar, “The International Fact-Finding Commission — Article 90 of Protocol I additional to the Geneva Conventions”.

19 The UN Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1990/66 (7 March 1990), entitled Human rights in times of armed conflicts, calls upon all governments to give particular attention to the education of all members of security and other armed forces, and of all law enforcement agencies, in the international law of human rights and international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts. Information on the scope of education provided to members of the police and the armed forces is requested by all governments, and an analytical review of the replies received shall be submitted to the Sub-Commission at its forty-second session.

20 Jakovljevic, Bosko, Ensuring Observance of International Humanitarian Law: The International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, paper presented to the 15th Round Table on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law (San Remo, 4–8 09 1990).Google Scholar

21 Cf. Winning the Human Race. The Report of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues, Foreword by Khan, Sadruddin Aga and Talal, Hassan bin, London and New Jersey, 1988.Google Scholar