LanguaTalk

ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Humanitarian Law & Policy blog is a unique space for timely analysis and debate on international humanitarian law (IHL) issues and the policies that shape humanitarian action.

Carve-out in Kabul: hard won resolution lifts humanitarian roadblock in Afghanistan

10 mins; February 03, 2022

Explosive weapons with wide area effects: a deadly choice in populated areas

16 mins; January 24, 2022

Shifting the narrative: not weapons, but technologies of warfare

15 mins; January 20, 2022

Four pathways of climate insecurity: a guide for humanitarians

11 mins; January 13, 2022

Mine action in action: influencing law and policy on toxic remnants of war

16 mins; December 21, 2021

Mitigating the environmental impacts of explosive ordnance and land release

14 mins; December 16, 2021

Reporting sexual violence in a conflict zone

8 mins; December 09, 2021

Sexual violence in armed conflict: the historical limits of humanitarian action & ICRC in the 20thC

14 mins; December 02, 2021

Gender-based hate crime as an early warning indicator of escalating violence and armed conflict

12 mins; November 30, 2021

Walking the talk on SGBV: an implementation checklist to narrow the gaps

13 mins; November 25, 2021

Proximate ‘human shields’ and the challenge for humanitarian organizations

11 mins; November 18, 2021

Human shields under IHL: a path towards excessive legalization

7 mins; November 16, 2021

AWS: what the law says – and does not say – about the human role in the use of force

11 mins; November 11, 2021

The holy grail of virtual diplomacy: how to achieve trust

10 mins; November 04, 2021

A plea for COP26: don’t forget people affected by conflict

10 mins; October 27, 2021

A pragmatic perspective towards minimizing the civilian harm of offensive cyberspace operations

14 mins; October 21, 2021

The nature-security nexus and the UN Security Council

14 mins; October 14, 2021

Bringing IHL home: the protection of the environment in war

18 mins; October 12, 2021

Engaging with the industry: integrating IHL into new technologies in urban warfare

22 mins; October 07, 2021

Autonomy in weapons systems: playing catch up with technology

13 mins; September 29, 2021

Identifying Protected Missions in the Digital Domain

10 mins; September 23, 2021

Signaling legal protection during cyber warfare: an authenticated digital emblem

10 mins; September 21, 2021

Signaling legal protection in a digitalizing world: a new era for the distinctive emblems?

12 mins; September 16, 2021

Biometrics in humanitarian action: a delicate balance

11 mins; September 02, 2021

Sustaining the momentum: working to prevent and address enforced disappearances

17 mins; August 26, 2021

The future is now: artificial intelligence and anticipatory humanitarian action

8 mins; August 18, 2021

The value (and danger) of ‘shock’ in regulating new technology during armed conflict

11 mins; August 12, 2021

Drones and distrust in humanitarian aid

12 mins; July 22, 2021

Online education: teaching IHL in the Gaza Strip during the COVID-19 pandemic

6 mins; July 15, 2021

Protective by design: safely delivering connectivity as aid

13 mins; July 07, 2021

Digital safe havens: sheltering civilians from military cyber operations

6 mins; July 01, 2021

Future developments in military cyber operations and their impact on the risk of civilian harm

11 mins; June 22, 2021

Assessing the risks of civilian harm from military cyber operations during armed conflicts

12 mins; June 22, 2021

The principle of non-refoulement under Islamic law and international law

11 mins; June 18, 2021

Stepping into the breach: military responses to global cyber insecurity

14 mins; June 17, 2021

Avoiding civilian harm during military cyber operations: six key takeaways

13 mins; June 15, 2021

If not us, who? How States implement the legal framework protecting the environment from conflict

12 mins; June 10, 2021

Protecting the environment during armed conflict: IHL and Islamic law

13 mins; June 03, 2021

Feasible precautions during urban attacks: the ‘art’ of the practically possible

16 mins; June 01, 2021

Data-driven environmental decision-making and action in armed conflict

15 mins; June 01, 2021

Overcoming the disconnect: environmental protection and armed conflicts

11 mins; May 27, 2021

Fighting without a Planet B: how IHL protects the natural environment in armed conflict

21 mins; May 25, 2021

Standing together: the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations

7 mins; May 21, 2021

Preparedness in urban operations: a commander’s planning checklist to protect civilians

16 mins; May 20, 2021

Where are they? Three things the families of missing persons teach us about war and peace

15 mins; May 20, 2021

In good faith: legal advice during aerial targeting in urban areas

17 mins; May 20, 2021

War and the city: a history

7 mins; May 20, 2021

Urban warfare: an age-old problem in need of new solutions

22 mins; May 20, 2021

A common enemy: aggregating intensity in non-international armed conflicts

18 mins; May 20, 2021

A humanitarian duty to integrity

7 mins; May 20, 2021

The ‘fog of war’ . . . and information

9 mins; May 20, 2021

COVID-19 vaccine: three considerations for equitable access within countries at war

11 mins; May 20, 2021

The SolarWinds hack: lessons for humanitarians

9 mins; May 19, 2021

Even ‘cyber wars’ have limits. But what if they didn’t?

13 mins; May 19, 2021

ICRC engagement with non-State armed groups: why and how

7 mins; May 19, 2021

Cashless cash: financial inclusion or surveillance humanitarianism?

7 mins; May 19, 2021

The grand scheme: power and politics in the climate crisis

11 mins; May 19, 2021

Cultural heritage under attack

8 mins; May 19, 2021

Humanitarian engagement in social protection: implications for principled humanitarian action

11 mins; May 19, 2021

The mosaic effect: the revelation risks of combining humanitarian and social protection data

15 mins; May 18, 2021

We may need more humanitarian bureaucracy, not less

6 mins; May 18, 2021

GCIII Commentary: Common Article 1 and State responsibility

13 mins; May 18, 2021

GCIII Commentary: an Islamic perspective on the treatment of prisoners of war

7 mins; May 18, 2021

GCIII Commentary: a Buddhist perspective on the treatment of prisoners of war

6 mins; May 18, 2021

You can’t handle the truth: misinformation and humanitarian action

10 mins; May 18, 2021

Who are you calling ‘vulnerable’? Muslim women and inclusive humanitarianism

6 mins; May 18, 2021

GCIII Commentary: I’m a woman and a POW in a pandemic. What does GClll mean for me?

13 mins; May 14, 2021

Disability and sexual violence in the COVID-19 era

8 mins; May 14, 2021

Sexual violence in armed conflict: can we prevent a COVID-19 backslide?

10 mins; May 14, 2021

IHL in action: seven patterns of respect

16 mins; May 14, 2021

‘Please, don’t tell anyone!’: healthcare stigma in the COVID-19 era

11 mins; May 14, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines and IHL: ensuring equal access in conflict-affected countries

11 mins; May 14, 2021

GCIII Commentary: removing ambiguity on the treatment of prisoners of war

6 mins; May 14, 2021

GCIII Commentary: If I can’t feed you, do I have to let you go?

10 mins; May 14, 2021

Crossing the Rubicon: virtual diplomacy in a changing world

9 mins; May 14, 2021

Aggregated intensity: classifying coalitions of non-State armed groups

14 mins; May 14, 2021

The right tool for the job: how does international law apply to cyber operations?

7 mins; May 14, 2021

A world free from nuclear weapons: a call to action from Nigeria

10 mins; May 14, 2021

COVID-19 and its impact on persons with disabilities

6 mins; May 14, 2021

Protecting education from attack during COVID-19: a new day, a new call to action

9 mins; May 14, 2021

GCIII Commentary: protecting the honour of prisoners of war

9 mins; May 14, 2021

August 12th: hopes and wishes?

11 mins; May 14, 2021

An unnecessary evil: the discursive battle over the meaning of nuclear weapons

15 mins; May 14, 2021

GCIII Commentary: ten essential protections for prisoners of war

11 mins; May 14, 2021

Race, equity, and neo-colonial legacies

22 mins; May 14, 2021

Click here to see more

ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog

Useful pages

Find a tutor

Languages