Protection of civilians
71 Articles
The Legal Takeover of the Manifestly Unlawful Order Doctrine in Israel
The involvement of lawyers allows combatants to absolve themselves from thinking about human rights considerations as long as they believe the military functions as part of a democratic…
Department of Defense Issues Update to DoD Law of War Manual on Presumption of Civilian Status and Feasible Precautions to Verify Military Objectives
Commentary by Department of Defense General Counsel Caroline D. Krass
The Just Security Podcast: Potential Rwandan Aggression Against the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Accountability for the crime of aggression matters because acts of aggression can lead to other grave crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
U.S. Cluster Munition Transfer to Ukraine Ignores History of Civilian Harm
Rather than revert to the era when the U.S. last used cluster munitions, the U.S. and Ukraine, as well as Russia, should cease transfer and use of cluster munitions to protect…
Why President Biden Should Not Transfer Prohibited Cluster Bombs to Ukraine
Providing cluster munitions to Ukraine would be escalatory, counterproductive, and only further increase the dangers to civilians caught in combat zones and those who will, someday,…
Cluster Munition Convention Offers Roadmap for New Autonomous Weapons Treaty
Proponents of an autonomous weapons systems treaty should look to the Convention on Cluster Munitions' success for guidance and motivation.
The Just Security Podcast: The Battle for Sudan
To understand the conflict in Sudan and how it will impact the region we have Quscondy Abdulshafi, Suliman Baldo, and Rebeca Hamilton.
Armed Conflicts Spread Contaminated Water and Disease: Here’s How to Better Protect Civilians
Resolution 2573’s implementation will benefit from a better understanding of the links between damaged infrastructure and public health.
The US Needs a Strategy for (Human) Security Cooperation
The result is a frequent perception of enabling rights abuses and atrocities committed by foreign military partners.
Over 80 Countries Committed to Curb Use of Explosive Weapons, Now Comes the Hard Part
The success of the political endorsement to protect civilians warrants celebration, but it also marks the beginning of a new phase of work.
Averting Future Mass Atrocities in South Sudan as Peace Terms Stall
Pressing for certain "reforms" carries risks. The US, with allies, can take steps to help avert a further deterioration.
Let’s Talk About Compliance with International Humanitarian Law
What the empirics say about how States and non-State actors actually behave on the battlefield and under what conditions their compliance with humanitarian law changes.