In order to implement IHL and effectively protect the victims of armed conflicts, the contents of its rules must first be made known. The obligation to disseminate IHL is a corollary to the commitment to respect and ensure respect. Although dissemination activities must be stepped up during armed conflicts, they must also be carried out in peacetime. The obligation to disseminate extends beyond State armed forces to include armed groups and members of the civilian population.
See Implementation;
OUTLINE
LEGAL SOURCE
DOCUMENT
CASES
BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
Suggested readings:
BAERISWYL Edith, “Teaching Young People to Respect Human Dignity – Contribution of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement”, in IRRC, No. 319, July-August 1997, pp. 357-371.
BIGLER Roland, “Disseminating International Humanitarian Law in Colombia: Dissemination is Everyone’s Job – A Firsthand Report by an ICRC Delegate”, in IRRC, No. 319, July-August 1997, pp. 421-432.
BOUVIER Antoine, “Diffusing and Teaching International Humanitarian Law”, in Refugee Survey Quarterly, Vol. 21/3, 2002, pp. 175-180.
HARROFF-TAVEL Marion, “Promoting Norms to Limit Violence in Crisis Situations: Challenges, Strategies and Alliances”, in IRRC, No. 322, March 1998, pp. 5-20.
Instruction to the armed forces
LEGAL SOURCE
CASES
China, Military Writings of Mao Tse-Tung
Nigeria, Operational Code of Conduct
Israel, Report of the Winograd Commission (Paras 20, 21 and 52)
Sri Lanka, Conflict in the Vanni (Para. 10)
Afghanistan, Assessment of ISAF Strategy
ECHR, Isayeva v. Russia (paras 97 and 166)
Philippines, Armed Group Undertakes to Respect Children
Syria, Code of Conduct of the Free Syrian Army
United States of America, Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project
Central African Republic, No Class: When Armed Groups Use Schools
BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
Suggested readings:
HAMPSON Françoise, “Fighting by the Rules: Instructing the Armed Forces in Humanitarian Principles”, in IRRC, No. 269, March-April 1989, pp. 111-124.
MULINEN Frédéric de, “The Law of War and the Armed Forces”, in IRRC, No. 202, February 1978, pp. 20-45.
MULINEN Frédéric de, Handbook on the Law of War for Armed Forces,Geneva, ICRC, 1989, 232 pp.
Further readings:
BESSON DE VEZAC Marie-Pierre, “La diffusion du droit international humanitaire au sein des forces armées françaises”, in RDMDG, Vol. 36/3-4, 1997, pp. 43-72.
DINSTEIN Yoram, “Comments on the UK Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict”, in Frieden in Freiheit = Peace in Liberty = Paix en liberté: Festschrift für Michael Bothe zum 70 Geburtstag, Baden-Baden, Nomos; Zürich, Dike, 2008, pp. 375-390.
HOFFMAN Michael H., “Can Military Manuals Improve the Law of War? The San Remo Manual on the Law of Non-International Armed Conflict Considered in Relation to Historical and Contemporary Trends”, in IYHR, Vol. 37, 2007, pp. 241-258.
KLENNER Dietmar, “Training in International Humanitarian Law”, in IRRC, No. 839, September 2000, pp. 653-662.
MULINEN Frédéric de, “Law of War Training within the Armed Forces: Twenty Years of Experience”, in IRRC, No. 257, March 1987, pp. 168-179.
PRESCOTT Jody M., “Training in the Law of Armed Conflict: a NATO Perspective”, in Journal of Military Ethics, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2008, pp. 66-75.
ROBERTS David L., “Training the Armed Forces to Respect International Humanitarian Law: The Perspective of the ICRC Delegate to the Armed and Security Forces in South Asia”, in IRRC, No. 319, July-August 1997, pp. 433-446.
The Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict, United Kingdom, Ministry of Defence, Oxford, OUP, 2004, 611 pp.
Training of police forces
BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
ROVER Cees de, To Serve and to Protect, Geneva, ICRC, 1998, 455 pp.
University teaching
PEDAGOGICAL RESOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
Suggested readings:
BOUVIER Antoine A. & SAMS Katie, “Teaching International Humanitarian Law in Universities: the Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross”, in YIHL, Vol. 5, 2002, pp. 381-393.
DAVID Éric, “Dissemination of International Humanitarian Law at University Level”, in IRRC, No. 257, March 1987, pp. 155-169.
HAMPSON Françoise, “Teaching the Law of Armed Conflict”, in Essex Human Rights Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, July 2008.
HANKINS Stéphane, “Promoting International Humanitarian Law in Higher Education and Universities in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States”, in IRRC, No. 826, July-August 1997, pp. 479-482.
KRAFFT Mathias-Charles, “Le Concours Jean-Pictet 1999 – ou les pièges d’une ‘Conférence internationale pour la protection des victimes des conflits armés’”, in IRRC, No. 838, June 2000, pp. 501-506.
LANORD Christophe & DEYRA Michel, “Dissemination in Academic Circles: The Jean Pictet Competition”, in IRRC, No. 306, May-June 1995, pp. 341-346.
Dissemination among civil society
LEGAL SOURCE
BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
Suggested readings:
FARELL Norman, “Dissemination in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Lessons Learned”, in IRRC, No. 319, July-August 1997, pp. 409-420.
Further readings:
BAERISWYL Edith, “Teaching Young People to Respect Human Dignity – Contribution of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement”, in IRRC, No. 319, July-August 1997, pp. 357-371.
CASTILLO Frida, TRIAL, Pro Juventute, Playing by the Rules: Applying International Humanitarian Law to Video and Computer Games, Geneva, TRIAL; Zürich, Pro Juventute, October 2009, 46 pp.
ICRC, Exploring Humanitarian Law: IHL Guide: A Legal Manual for EHL Teachers, Geneva, ICRC, January 2009, 26 pp.
TAWIL Sobhi, “International Humanitarian Law and Basic Education”, in IRRC, No. 839, September 2000, pp. 581-600.
