scholarly journals Feminist Debates on Civilian Women and International Humanitarian Law

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Oosterveld
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
The Status ◽  
Droit International ◽  
Civilian Women ◽  
Female Specific ◽  
The Impact

International humanitarian law [IHL] provisions address the situation of civilian women caught in armed conflict today, but is this law enough? Feminist commentators have considered this question and have come to differing conclusions. This article considers the resulting debate as to whether female-specific IHL provisions are adequate but underenforced, or inadequate, outdated and in need of revision. One school of thought argues that the main impediment to the protection of female civilians during hostilities is lack of observance of existing IHL. A second school of thought believes that something more fundamental is needed to meet the goal of protecting civilian women during war: revision and reconceptualization of IHL to take into account systematic gender inequality. This article considers the status of this debate within three areas of IHL considered by many to be central legal aspects of the experience of female civilians caught in armed conflict: the general non-discrimination provisions, the specific protection for civilian women against sexual violence and the specific protection of pregnant women and mothers. It concludes that, while there has been a vibrant debate within feminist circles on the adequacy of existing IHL provisions, mainstream action has tended to focus on enforcement. This is unfortunate, as it means that certain insights into the impact of deep gender inequalities on conflict have largely been left unexplored.Les dispositions du droit international humanitaire [DIH] traitent de la situation de femmes civiles prises de nos jours dans un conflit armé, mais ces lois suffisent-elles? Des commentatrices féministes ont songé à cette question et en sont venues à des conclusions différentes. Cet article porte sur le débat qui en résulte à savoir si les dispositions du DIH spécifiques aux femmes sont adéquates mais pas suffisamment mises en vigueur, ou si ellessont inadéquates, surannées et doivent être révisées. Une école de pensée soutient que l’obstacle principal à la protection de femmes civiles au cours d’hostilités est l’inobservation du DIH existant. Une deuxième école de pensée croit qu’il faut quelque chose de plus fondamental pour atteindre le but de protéger les femmes civiles pendant une guerre : la révision et la reconceptualisation du DIH pour tenir compte de l’inégalité systématique entre les sexes. Cet article examine l’état de ce débat dans trois domaines du DIH que plusieurs considèrent être des aspects légaux qui se situent au centre de l’expérience de femmes civiles prises dans un conflit armé : les dispositions générales contre la discrimination, la protection spécifique aux femmes civiles contre la violence sexuelle et la protection spécifique de femmes enceintes et de mères. On conclut que quoiqu’un débat animé ait été tenu au sein de cercles féministes en rapport avec la suffisance des dispositions existantes du DIH, l’action principale a eu tendance à être concentrée sur l’application de la loi. C’est malheureux, car cela signifie que certaines intuitions quant à l’impact sur le conflit d’inégalités profondes entre les sexes demeurent en grande partie inexplorées.

From Peacekeepers to Parties to the Conflict: An IHL’s Appraisal of the Role of UN Peace Operations in NIACs

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-236
Author(s):  
Bianca Maganza
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Peace Operations ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Evolutionary Interpretation

Abstract The article analyses the application of international humanitarian law (IHL) to UN ‘peace operations’ when, due to their factual involvement in hostilities, they become parties to a non-international armed conflict. It argues that the notion of party to the conflict allows to focus on the collective entity and its obligations, and to infer the status of individual members of the operation from the mission's collective status. In assessing the consequences of that scenario, the article further discusses the external and internal borders of the scope of the notion of party to the conflict as applied to UN peace operations, and examines the impact of the loss of protection from attack on the principle of distinction. It concludes by suggesting that, in light of the increasing involvement of UN peace operations in situations that factually amount to armed conflict, an evolutionary interpretation of the theory of IHL's application to the situation is needed.

Health Care Providers in War and Armed Conflict: Operational and Educational Challenges in International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, Part I. Historical Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick M. Burkle ◽  
Adam L. Kushner ◽  
Christos Giannou ◽  
Mary A. Paterson ◽  
Sherry M. Wren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Geneva Convention ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSince 1945, the reason for humanitarian crises and the way in which the world responds to them has dramatically changed every 10 to 15 years or less. Planning, response, and recovery for these tragic events have often been ad hoc, inconsistent, and insufficient, largely because of the complexity of global humanitarian demands and their corresponding response system capabilities. This historical perspective chronicles the transformation of war and armed conflicts from the Cold War to today, emphasizing the impact these events have had on humanitarian professionals and their struggle to adapt to increasing humanitarian, operational, and political challenges. An unprecedented independent United Nations–World Health Organization decision in the Battle for Mosul in Iraq to deploy to combat zones emergency medical teams unprepared in the skills of decades-tested war and armed conflict preparation and response afforded to health care providers and dictated by International Humanitarian Law and Geneva Convention protections has abruptly challenged future decision-making and deployments. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:109–115)

scholarly journals La Réparation Individuelle en Application des Mécanismes Prévus par le Droit International Humanitaire

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Sophie Rondeau
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Present State ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Normative Framework ◽  
Droit International ◽  
The Right ◽  
Droit International Humanitaire

Le présent article fait état d’un questionnement sur l’état actuel du rôle des normes juridiques émanant du système de droit international humanitaire (DIH) en ce qui a trait au droit à la réparation, en prenant soin de mettre la personne en tant que victime de la guerre au centre de notre réflexion. En considérant la notion de réparation sous l’angle de la victime comme un tout à décrire et à analyser, nous cherchons à savoir s’il existe un droit à la réparation que possède la victime d’un conflit armé régi par le droit international humanitaire. Le fondement même de cette recherche s’appuie donc sur le cadre normatif conventionnel du DIH régissant la notion de réparation, que cette dernière accorde ou non un droit à une victime.This paper presents a series of questions on the present state of the role of judicial standards arising from the system of international humanitarian law [IHL] as regards the right to compensation, by making it a point to place the person as a war victim at the center of our reflection. In considering the concept of compensation from the angle of the victim as a whole, we seek to know whether there exists a right to compensation to which the victim of an armed conflict governed by international humanitarian law is entitled. The very foundation of this research is thus based on the conventional normative framework of IHL governing the concept of compensation, whether or not it grants a right to a victim.

Who Are Protected by the Fundamental Guarantees under International Humanitarian Law? Part 2: Breaking with the Control Requirement in Light of the icc Case Law

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-58
Author(s):  
Raphaël van Steenberghe
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Case Law ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
General Control ◽  
Geneva Conventions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Control Requirement ◽  
Specific Paper

Abstract International humanitarian law provides for fundamental guarantees, the content of which is similar irrespective of the nature of the armed conflict and which apply to individuals even if they do not fall into the categories of specifically protected persons under the Geneva Conventions. Those guarantees, all of which derive from the general requirement of human treatment, include prohibitions of specific conduct against persons, such as murder, cruel treatment, torture, sexual violence, or against property, such as pillaging. However, it is traditionally held that the entitlement to those guarantees depends upon two requirements: the ‘status requirement’, which basically means that the concerned persons must not or no longer take a direct part in hostilities, and the ‘control requirement’, which basically means that the concerned persons or properties must be under the control of a party to the armed conflict. This study argues in favour of breaking with these two requirements in light of the existing icc case law. That study is divided into two parts, with each part devoted to one requirement and made the object of a specific paper. The two papers follow the same structure. They start with general observations on the requirement concerned, examine the relevant icc case law and put forward several arguments in favour of an extensive approach to the personal scope of the fundamental guarantees. The first paper, which was published in the previous issue of this journal, dealt with the status requirement. It especially delved into the icc decisions in the Ntaganda case with respect to the issue of protection against intra-party violence. It advocated the applicability of the fundamental guarantees in such a context by rejecting the requirement of a legal status, on the basis of several arguments. Those arguments relied on ihl provisions protecting specific persons as well as on the potential for humanizing ihl on the matter and also on the approach making the status requirement relevant only when the fundamental guarantees apply in the conduct of hostilities. The second paper, which is published here, deals with the control requirement. It examines several icc cases in detail, including the Katanga and Ntaganda cases, in relation to the issue of the applicability of the fundamental guarantees in the conduct of hostilities. It is argued that the entitlement to those guarantees is not dependent upon any general control requirement, and that, as a result, some of these guarantees may apply in the conduct of hostilities. This concerns mainly those guarantees whose application or constitutive elements do not imply any physical control over the concerned persons or properties.

Engaging or Shaming? An Analysis of UN’s Naming and Shaming of Child Abusers in Armed Conflict

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Nyamutata
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
International Human Rights Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rebel Groups ◽  
Naming And Shaming ◽  
The Impact

The impact of armed conflict on children has been recognized for some time as a major humanitarian problem. In 1999, the United Nations (UN) Security Council began taking up the abuse of children during armed conflict as a regular thematic issue. As part of the protective framework, the UN adopted a “strategy” of “naming and shaming” government forces and rebel groups recruiting, killing, maiming, raping or other sexual abusing of children during conflict. The philosophical justification of the public exposures is premised on the supposed stigmatic and deterrent effect on named and shamed offenders. However, little analysis has gone into the impact of this UN policy. This paper has the modest aim of assessing the UN’s naming and shaming practice since inception of the policy in 2002. The efficacy of shaming sanctions is contestable. The recent UN annual statistics on the exposed parties do not seem to evince a convincing causal link between of naming and shaming and adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly among armed non-State groups (ANSAs) so far. Naming and shaming represents an antagonistic modus operandi. This paper argues that humanitarian engagement with ANSAs offers a non-confrontational and corrective approach and thus greater promise for compliance and protection of children during armed conflict than naming and shaming.

scholarly journals THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICT

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Aldytia Bunga
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Gender Relation ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Forced Prostitution ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>The vulnerable groups often become the victim of adverse party of armed conflict. Women is included in there. Women in armed conflict are affected directly or indirectly by the conflict, including gender based violence like rape, forced impregnation, or forced prostitution. In addition, armed conflict also affects the gender relation related to women, for example women become the breadwinner as the result of lost of husband due to the conflict. this research aimed to discuss on the impact of armed conflict on women, how international humanitarian law protects women in armed conflict and how the implementation of that protection.</em></p>

scholarly journals THE LIMITATION OF CYBER WARFARE UNDER HUMANITARIAN LAW (Pembatasan Perang Siber dalam Hukum Humaniter)

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Laila Almira
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Cyber Warfare ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>States and non-State armed groups are increasingly employing cyber capabilities in their military operations in the digitalization environment today. There is a controversy about how current international legal frameworks, especially International Humanitarian Law (IHL), applies to such conduct in cyberspace, most notably in the context of armed conflict. Because one of the fundamental aims of the IHL is to protect civilians from the impact of armed conflict, it is critical to explore the norms of IHL that regulate such operations. This article will be likely to discuss about cyber warfare in the term of armed conflict. Lastly, the article will be reviewing the rules and principle that applies during the cyber warfare.</em></p><p><em> </em></p>

11. International humanitarian law

2021 ◽  
pp. 247-266
Author(s):  
Nicole Scicluna
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
The Political ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
Legitimate Target ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
State Practice ◽  
The Status ◽  
International Legal Order

This chapter investigates whether and how the laws that govern armed conflict achieve their objective of minimizing the suffering of combatants and non-combatants alike. International humanitarian law (IHL) reflects the tensions of an international legal order that oscillates between the apologist tendency to reflect state practice and state self-interest and the utopian desire to reflect higher values of justice and human dignity. The chapter begins with a brief overview of the evolution of this body of law, the codification of which dates from the second half of the nineteenth century. It then turns to the question of terminology, analysing the political origins and legal implications of the relatively recent term ‘international humanitarian law’. The chapter focuses on two key questions. Firstly, who or what is a legitimate target during an armed conflict? Secondly, what are legitimate means of conducting armed conflict? The chapter also considers the status of nuclear weapons under international law, a topic that captures well both the possibilities and limits of IHL.

International treaties against terrorism and the use of terrorism during armed conflict and by armed forces

2006 ◽  
Vol 88 (864) ◽  
pp. 853-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
War On Terrorism ◽  
The Status ◽  
Terrorist Acts

AbstractDuring the second half of the twentieth century the international community, facing the terrorist phenomenon, reacted with the adoption of a series of treaties concerning specific types of terrorist acts, and the obligations of states with regard to them. Alternatively terrorism-oriented legislation, which initially covered only acts affecting civilians, has gradually expanded to cover some acts of terrorism against military personnel and installations. This contribution attempts to assess the repercussions of this evolution on the status and the protection of armed forces engaged in the so-called “war on terrorism” by examining the existing dynamic between these regulations and international humanitarian law.

Humanitarian Negotiation with Parties to Armed Conflict

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-96
Author(s):  
Rob Grace
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Final Section ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negotiation Processes ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Impact

This article examines the role of international humanitarian law (ihl) and humanitarian principles in the discourse of humanitarian negotiation. The article is based on extensive, semi-structured interviews conducted with 53 humanitarian practitioners about their experiences engaging in negotiations in the field. The article proceeds in four parts. Part 1 discusses two key factors at play during humanitarian negotiation processes. The first factor is the counterpart’s familiarity with relevant legal and normative frameworks. The second factor is the interests that can drive counterparts’ behavior. Part 2 presents a framework for understanding how the interaction of these two factors – familiarity and interest-alignment – can shape the discourse of humanitarian negotiation. Part 3 addresses the impact of these same issues on the humanitarian side of the negotiation. In particular, there is the possibility that humanitarian actors themselves might also lack familiarity with ihl and/or humanitarian principles and might find that their interests exist in tension with humanitarian laws and principles. The final section offers concluding remarks.

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