Human Rights and Armed Conflict

The principle of distinction requires parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians, and between military objectives and civilian objects. This principle aims to minimize harm to civilians and civilian property.

The Geneva Conventions are a set of four treaties that establish the minimum standards of humanitarian treatment during armed conflict. They protect the rights of wounded and sick soldiers, prisoners of war, and civilians.

Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, regardless of the circumstances.

Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, often based on their ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs, with the intent to destroy the group in whole or in part.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent international court established to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Crimes against humanity are acts that are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population, with the intent to cause great suffering or serious bodily or mental harm.

The principle of non-intervention prohibits the use of force by one state against another state, except in cases of self-defense or when authorized by the United Nations Security Council.

Pillage is the deliberate destruction or appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.

Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits collective punishment, which is the punishment of a group of people for the acts of a few individuals.

Forced migration is the forced displacement of a population from their homes or traditional lands, often as a result of conflict, persecution, or natural disasters.

Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the taking of hostages, which is the seizure of a person by a party to an armed conflict in order to compel the other party to do or refrain from doing something.

Starvation is the deliberate denial of food, water, or other essential supplies to a civilian population as a method of warfare.

Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the use of child soldiers, which is the recruitment or use of children under the age of 15 in armed conflict.

Cultural destruction is the deliberate destruction or damage of cultural property during armed conflict, such as monuments, museums, and libraries.

Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the use of weapons that cause widespread, long-term, and severe damage to the environment.