International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the laws of war, is the body of laws that aim to limit suffering in times of armed conflict - both international and non-international armed conflict. IHL imposes obligations on parties to armed conflict in order to protect those who are not, or who are no longer participating in hostilities and to limit the means and methods of warfare.
As an organisation that regularly deploys staff to conflict zones, and which has a mandate to promote awareness of IHL, Red Cross is taking action to embed IHL into our policies, procedures and practice . We believe that if our people understand IHL, this will lead to:
Australian Red Cross has adopted and is implementing a set of IHL commitments, which we have called our “IHL Action Plan.” Our commitments are framed by seven Principles for IHL Best Practice. The first Principle is to publicly share our commitment to respect and promote respect for IHL. We do so in the following statement.
A public commitment not only ensures that we will hold ourselves to account, but also allows us to communicate to third parties (e.g. partners, suppliers and donors) that we are aware of the legal framework applicable in conflict zones and are taking steps to ensure that we comply with this framework. It helps create a culture of respect within Australia for these laws.
Internal policies that explicitly incorporate IHL will help us assess, plan for and manage the operational, legal and reputational risks associated with operating in a conflict-affected environment. This commitment also gives our stakeholders, other partners and the public the confidence that we take our responsibilities seriously.
Ensuring that all personnel understand their rights and responsibilities under IHL– in times of peace, and in times of war – means that Red Cross People can leverage IHL to achieve better humanitarian outcomes. In conflict settings, Red Cross People can use their knowledge of IHL to minimise risks for themselves and others.
Managing the security risks associated with non-compliance with IHL (e.g. direct attacks against staff and/or infrastructure) is essential to the security of our staff and operational efficiency.
We take positive action to ensure that our partners and other third parties (e.g. contractors, suppliers, donors, etc.) respect international humanitarian law, we help organisations achieve better humanitarian outcomes, and we reduce our risk of being associated with third parties that do not respect international humanitarian law. This helps create an overall culture of respect within Australia for these laws.
Transparent reporting ensures that we are accountable to our people, as well as donors and beneficiaries.
We ensure that all personnel have access to a complaints and grievance process, and that managers and senior leaders are trained to deal with any allegations of violations of IHL, including reporting, where appropriate, to relevant authorities. This strengthens respect for international humanitarian law. Implementing internal analyses of security incidents will also allow us to improve future security planning and management.