It is a major cultural achievement that violence in armed conflicts is restrained by international legal rules. As the nature of these conflicts changes, these rules have to be adapted accordingly in order to provide effective protection for the victims. The adoption of the two Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions in 1977 was a major step in this development. The authors, who were involved in the negotiation of these two treaties, give a first hand account of the meaning of the text and the intent of the negotiators. The book is, thus, an important tool to better understand and implement these treaties which have proved their salutary importance in the all too many conflicts during the last decades. The current volume is a revised reprint, with new introductory materials, of the original text published in 1982.

The two Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions are a cornerstone of the current law regulating armed conflict. The authors, who took part in their negotiation, explain the origin and the meaning of the text and provide, thus, and important help for their understanding and application. The current volume is a revised reprint, with new introductory materials, of the original text published in 1982.

Three experts address reparation for victims of armed conflict, drawing on international law practice, human rights courts, and domestic law.

The underlying rationale for the international humanitarian law of war is the protection of individuals and victims of war. This book is a contribution to the study of human rights in general and humanitarian law in particular. It contains detailed information and analysis of the law and practice relating to international armed conflicts involving irregular combatants. The discussion focuses on the most controversial provisions of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions: the classification of wars of national liberation, the treatment of guerrillas and mercenaries upon capture, reprisals, and the question of supervision and implementation in such conflicts. The manuscript on which this book was based was awarded the 1991 Paul Reuter Prize by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The law of armed conflict is a key element of the global legal order yet it finds itself in a state of flux created by the changing nature of warfare and the influences of other branches of international law. The Routledge Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict provides a unique perspective on the field covering all the key aspects of the law as well as identifying developing and often contentious areas of interest. The handbook will feature original pieces by international experts in the field, including academics, staff of relevant NGOs and (former) members of the armed forces. Made up of six parts in order to offer a comprehensive overview of the field, the structure of the handbook is as follows: Part I: Fundamentals Part II: Principle of distinction Part III: Means and methods of warfare Part IV: Special protection regimes Part V: Compliance and enforcement Part VI: Some contemporary issues Throughout the book, attention is paid to non-international conflicts as well as international conflicts with acknowledgement of the differences. The contributors also consider the relationship between the law of armed conflict and human rights law, looking at how the various rules and principles of human rights law interact with specific rules and principles of international humanitarian law in particular circumstances. The Routledge Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict provides a fresh take on the contemporary laws of war and is written for advanced level students, academics, researchers, NGOs and policy-makers with an interest in the field.