Examples of major areas of international law relevant to humanitarian diplomacy and
some relevant treaties and instruments
Areas of Law
International Humanitarian Law
(IHL)
International Human Rights
Law (IHRL)
International Refugee Law
Disaster Response Law (IDRL)
International Criminal Law
Major Treaties and Instruments
Geneva Conventions (1949) and Additional Protocols (1977, 2005)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948 – soft law instrument)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981)
American Convention on Human Rights (1969)
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (1950)
Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951)
Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa
(1969)
Cartagena Declaration on Refugees (1984 – soft law instrument)
African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally
Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) (2009)
Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
particularly Women and Children (2000)
Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
and NGOs in Disaster Relief (1994 – soft law instrument)
Guidelines on the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International
Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (2007 – soft law instrument)
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
(1946)
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998)
Security Council Resolution 827 on the International Criminal Tribunal for
former Yugoslavia (1993)
Security Council Resolution 955 on the International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda (1994)
Security Council Resolution 1315 on the Special Court for Sierra Leone (2000)