The new study by the ICRC, entitled “Obligations of non-state armed groups towards separated family members, the missing or deceased: what international humanitarian law says and examples of implementation” (in French), draws on law and real-life practices to provide non-state armed groups with concrete guidance on how they can preserve family life, prevent disappearances, protect missing persons and ensure that the dead receive dignified treatment, regardless of the side they belonged to.
This report reaffirms the rules of IHL applicable to non-international armed conflicts and shows, with concrete examples, how non-state armed groups can fulfill their obligations. Drawing on operational experience, the ICRC reports on observed or reported practices and the doctrines of 64 groups currently involved in non-international armed conflicts or having participated in such conflicts since the 1960s.
Additionally, the document describes real-life situations in which the law has been respected and shows how simple and realistic measures can make all the difference for families who have been separated by war and are seeking a missing loved one.
