Protection of civilians

A Defense Department Inspector General report shows the Pentagon’s failure to prioritize congressionally mandated civilian protection mechanisms amid U.S. military action.

A Dutch probe into a 2016 Mosul airstrike exposes how outdated intelligence and weak assessments led to civilian deaths, offering key lessons for accountability.

Expert authors examine key interpretive issues and selected topics in the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention​ on protection of civilians during civil war.

Leading legal experts' Q&A analyzes how the law of armed conflict applies to U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strikes - with a focus on targeting rules and civilian protections.

Surveys how the 2025 ICRC GC IV Commentary integrates technology into its analysis of specific rules, while raising concerns about its treatment of data as property.

New Commentary on GC IV describes Article 23—the treaty’s key provision governing the duty to allow the passage of essentials to civilians—as "significantly diminished" today.

​The ICRC's updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention fills a loophole-closing function and reasserts international humanitarian law's core protective purpose.

The human rights crisis in Iran reveals the limits of a legal system designed to restrain force even when restraint carries profound human costs.

A concentration on decision-making, investment, and accountability will lead to a more impactful DRC-Rwanda minerals agreement and improve others as well.

Civilian harm is not entirely avoidable during armed conflict, but it can be anticipated and its severity limited. In Asia-Pacific, this depends entirely on steps taken now.

Drones are rapidly changing war. Without urgent, collective action, their use will lead to greater civilian harm in conflicts.

European militaries can adapt and operationalize civilian protection as they increase defense spending to protect themselves against Russia.