International humanitarian law

International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the rules of war, applies to armed conflicts. It protects people caught up in armed conflict who aren’t directly involved in it and restricts some of what participants in armed conflicts can do in war. IHL does not regulate whether a State may use force.

IHL basics 

The rules of war are universal. The Geneva Conventions — critical to IHL — have been ratified by all 196 states. Very few international treaties have this level of support.

Everyone fighting a war needs to respect IHL, both governmental forces and non-State armed groups.

The rules of war

1. Protect those who are not fighting, such as civilians, medical personnel or aid workers. 
2. Protect those who are no longer able to fight, like an injured soldier or a prisoner. 
3. Prohibit targeting civilians. Doing so is a war crime.
4. Recognize the right of civilians to be protected from the dangers of war and receive the help they need. Every care must be taken to avoid harming them or their houses, or destroying their means of survival, such as water sources, crops, livestock. 
5. Mandate that the sick and wounded have a right to be cared for, regardless of whose side they are on. 
6. Specify that medical workers, medical vehicles, and hospitals dedicated to humanitarian work cannot be attacked. 
7. Prohibit torture and degrading treatment of prisoners. 
8. Specify that detainees must receive food and water and be allowed to communicate with their loved ones. 
9. Limit the weapons and tactics that can be used in war, to avoid unnecessary suffering. 
10. Explicitly forbid rape or other forms of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict. 

Read our guide for journalists on IHL

What are the rules of war?