International Humanitarian Laws

Although both branches of law are often confused, international human rights and international humanitarian laws have nothing to do with one another. Both branches of law are very important as they protect the basic human rights of every human being. However, the manner in which they are instilled are quite different. In this article, we will take a closer look at the vast differences between both the branches of law and hopefully, we will be able to pass this information on, as each branch are just as important as the other.

In international humanitarian law, we are dealing with what are essentially the laws of war or armed conflict. These are a consolidated set of laws that are derived from the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions. The modern day document of the Geneva Convention consist of four treaties and three protocols. The first treaty consisted of ten articles and were adopted in 1864 by twelve nations. They were later ratified in 1882. The second treaty was adopted in 1906 and dealt with the armed forces at sea. The third treaty in involved the treatment and protection of prisoners of war and was adopted in 1929. The fourth was adopted in 1947 and reaffirmed the first three treaties with protection to extend to civilians during war time. This particular treaty was inspired by the Nuremberg Trials. The three protocols to follow extended protection to religious and medical personnel. The Geneva Conventions comprise rules that apply in times of armed conflict and seek to protect people who are not or are no longer taking part in hostilities. These include the wounded or sick fighters, prisoners of war, civilians and medical and religious personnel. The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and 1907, and were, along with the Geneva Conventions, among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes to be recognized internationally.

When it comes to international human rights, we lack the clear and definitive black and white lines defining international humanitarian laws. International human rights, instead, are an ever evolving set laws involving all rights protected as above, but also include the basic human rights each human being is afforded. These international human rights may vary slightly in wording from nation to nation but it protects the rights of each individual to legal recognition of certain civil, political, economical, social and cultural rights. What is considered a human right is hotly debated today from coffeehouses to courthouses. However, the basic human rights that are not contested are the right to life and to be safe from physical harm. Beyond, that however, the lines are still be drawn.

As you can see, both branches of law, though very important are also, very different. Whereas international humanitarian law applies only in armed conflict, international human rights cover all that extend beyond to the civilian world with a larger variety of human rights protected. As the times change, so will the laws that govern our human rights, and we will continue to grow and learn with along with evolution.