Protection of the Environment during Armed Conflict
Publisher: International Review of the Red Cross
Author(s): Bruno Demeyere
Date: 2023
Topics: Cooperation, Governance, Humanitarian Assistance
It has been well over a decade since the International Review of the Red Cross dedicated an issue entirely to the environment, and since then, there has been a wave of momentum to better protect the environment in war. Two major developments since 2010 in particular warranted thoroughly revisiting this topic:
- After a decade of work, the UN International Law Commission finalized and adopted its Principles on Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts, and these were then welcomed in a UN General Assembly resolution on 7 December 2022.
- In 2020, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published its Guidelines on the Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflict, updating their 1994 predecessor and setting out existing rules under international humanitarian law (IHL).