International Humanitarian Law as Customary International Law
In: Refugee survey quarterly: reports, documentation, literature survey, Band 21, Heft 3, S. 186-193
ISSN: 1020-4067
Explores the relevance of customary rules of international humanitarian law & the mechanisms through which they are created. International humanitarian law adopted in Geneva in 1864 was based on customary rules generated by practices adopted in previous wars. In spite of extensive codification of humanitarian law by numerous treaties, treaty law does not adequately cover today's armed conflicts, especially those that are not international in scope. Customary international law is said to have the potential to fill existing holes in treaty law resulting from a lack of substantive coverage or ratification. Situations in which customary international law could be useful, & the methodology used to institute rules of customary international law, are described. Research on customary rules of international humanitarian law conducted by the International Conference of the Red Cross & Red Crescent identifies 200 basic rules found to be customary in today's noninternational armed conflicts. These rules will be included in a code of customary international law that will be binding upon parties in international & noninternational armed conflicts. J. Lindroth