About IHL in Action
Acts of compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), though seldom making headlines, play a crucial role in conflict zones. Despite frequent violations, respect for the law profoundly shapes the lives of people affected by armed conflicts. These benefits might be hard to quantify, since reporting on violations that don’t occur - when hospitals are not bombed, when lives are preserved, and when vital infrastructure remains undamaged – is inherently challenging. Yet, these instances underscore the law’s capacity to restrain behavior during war. As the most potent tool to protect civilians amidst conflict, IHL has a significant influence on the battlefield, demonstrating the enduring power of legal norms even in the chaos of war.
“IHL in action: Respect for the law on the battlefield” is a database of real case-studies documenting compliance with IHL in modern warfare. The database is hosted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with a view to encourage the reporting, collection and promotion of instances of respect for IHL. The cases shall not be construed as reflecting the views of the ICRC.
By gathering examples of respect for IHL, the database aims to recall that the reality of armed conflict is more nuanced than what is generally reported through various channels; it provides some factual evidence that helps reframe the perception of IHL as an ineffective set of rules, by showcasing situations in which the law is actually respected. Compliant behaviour shows that existing rules are adequate and can significantly reduce human suffering. The project hopes to foster a change in the way we research, write about, and talk about IHL in the humanitarian policy and diplomacy environment.
The cases should not be seen as ignoring the suffering of victims of armed conflicts, both by attacks which do not violate IHL and by violations of IHL, committed by the same party whose respect is mentioned in the cases reproduced.
Methodology
Based on publicly available information, the cases featured in the database are in general the result of clinical work of law students conducted under the supervision of academics. The project has initially been conducted by four leadoff IHL clinics: Emory University School of Law, Leiden University, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and Roma Tre University. All cases in the database have undergone independent peer review.
How to use the database
The case-studies can be searched by country – on a clickable map – or by topic (conduct of hostilities; protection of persons and objects; combatants and POWs; implementation mechanisms). Each case study begins with a summary of the situation including a short overview of basic IHL rules applicable to the cases, an insight on context, and IHL compliance highlights; it also presents a selection of public resources demonstrating the instance of respect. This is followed by a discussion section, which raises thought-provoking questions on the case at hand.
