third-country nationals in international armed conflict
In international armed conflict, citizens of non-belligerent States can (and do) find their way onto the battlefield. Whether they arrive as volunteers, security company employees, or mercenaries, so-called third-country nationals test the common assumption that States fight wars with armies of their own loyal citizens. But foreign fighters are nothing new. They are a regular feature of war, and the law of armed conflict reaches and protects them like anyone else.
In this post, ICRC Senior Legal Adviser Ramin Mahnad explains what the Geneva Conventions and other sources of the law of armed conflict – international humanitarian law (IHL) – say about fighters who are not nationals of the belligerent States.
In this fresh release, we speak to former ICRC President Peter Maurer as he reflects on his ten years at the organization. We gain some insight into his perspectives on humanitarian affairs and what’s to come. Listen now on your favorite platforms.
In the meantime, stay tuned for our next episode on mental health in armed conflict to mark the World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Global call for papers of the Review: “Protecting the Environment in Armed Conflict: The Legal and Policy Framework of the Future”
The International Review of the Red Cross launches a call for papers on the protection of the environment in armed conflict. For this new edition, the Review invites proposals regarding the international normative framework for the protection of the environment in war, with a particular openness to contributions exploring contemporary approaches to modern challenges and proposing innovative and creative arguments and solutions.
Initial proposals are due 14 November 2022; authors invited to submit full papers on the basis of their proposals will be expected to do so by 3 March 2023.
provide important insights into the drafting of the ICRC’s updated Commentaries on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols.
| Guidance notes |
Not knowing the fate and whereabouts of a loved one has been recognized as one of the deepest wounds inflicted by armed conflict. A dedicated national mechanism might help address the issue. Read the ICRC's latest guidance notes on missing persons to learn more.
IHL in Action | Armenia-Azerbaijan, Exchange of Remains of the Dead
What does IHL compliance look like on the battlefield? Take a look at the newly released IHL in Action case study on the exchange of remains of the dead between Armenia and Azerbaijan during a humanitarian ceasefire in 2020.
When cyber operations are no longer Sci-Fi in modern warfare, would it be feasible to use “digital emblems” to mark assets protected under international humanitarian law?