Where is R2P grounded in international law? Anne-Marie Judson A ...
Where is R2P grounded in international law? Anne-Marie Judson A ...
Where is R2P grounded in international law? Anne-Marie Judson A ...
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Basic rules are def<strong>in</strong>ed under Article 35 which state that <strong>in</strong> any armed conflict the<br />
right of the parties to choose methods or means of warfare <strong>is</strong> not unlimited and it <strong>is</strong><br />
prohibited to employ methods of warfare which are <strong>in</strong>tended to or may be expected to<br />
cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment. The<br />
parties are prohibited from kill<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>jur<strong>in</strong>g or captur<strong>in</strong>g an adversary by resort to<br />
perfidy. These acts <strong>in</strong>clude lead<strong>in</strong>g a person to believe that he <strong>is</strong> entitled to protection<br />
under the rules of <strong>in</strong>ternational <strong>law</strong>, with the <strong>in</strong>tent to betray that confidence which<br />
<strong>in</strong>cludes the <strong>in</strong>tention to negotiate a truce by surrender. 270 Murder, torture of all<br />
k<strong>in</strong>ds, corporal pun<strong>is</strong>hment, mutilation, outrages on personal dignity, humiliat<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
degrad<strong>in</strong>g treatment, enforced prostitution and any form of <strong>in</strong>decent assault, tak<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
hostages, collective pun<strong>is</strong>hment and threats to commit any of the mentioned acts are<br />
prohibited under th<strong>is</strong> Convention. 271<br />
WHO IS NOT PROTECTED UNDER THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS?<br />
Mercenaries do not have a right to be protected as pr<strong>is</strong>oners of war under th<strong>is</strong><br />
convention. A mercenary <strong>is</strong> a person who <strong>is</strong> specially recruited locally or abroad <strong>in</strong><br />
order to fight <strong>in</strong> an armed conflict. He does not take part <strong>in</strong> the hostilities and <strong>is</strong><br />
motivated by the desire for private wealth. He <strong>is</strong> neither a national nor a resident of<br />
the territory controlled and <strong>is</strong> not a member of the armed forces of a party to the<br />
conflict and <strong>is</strong> not an official on duty as a member of the armed forces. 272<br />
WHO IS PROTECTED?<br />
Civilians are protected aga<strong>in</strong>st the effects of hostilities. A civilian <strong>is</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ed as a person<br />
who <strong>is</strong> not part of the hostilities. If <strong>in</strong> doubt a prov<strong>is</strong>ion <strong>is</strong> made that the person will be<br />
considered a civilian. 273 They are seen as d<strong>is</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ct from combatant, between military<br />
objectives and civilian objects and the parties to the conflict may only direct their<br />
operations aga<strong>in</strong>st the military. The civilian population <strong>is</strong> to be protected from<br />
270 Article 37, page 15 <br />
271 Article 75 pages 29 and 30 <br />
272 Article 47 page 18 <br />
273 Article 50, page 19 <br />
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85
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