International Committee of the Red Cross and the Use of International Human Rights Law

Sayapin, Sergey

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-5202-1_9-1

Sergey Sayapin³

Part of the book series: International Human Rights ((IHR))

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Abstract

Until the mid-2000s, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was quite conservatively refraining from invoking international human rights law (IHRL). However, the changing character of armed conflicts and other situations of political violence where the ICRC operates led it to set an institutional normative framework for making some limited use of selected “non-derogable” human rights, for the purpose of reinforcing protection and improving the quality of assistance it provides. This chapter examines how the ICRC may use IHRL in its humanitarian action in conjunction with international humanitarian law.

In 2000–2014, the author held a number of posts at the ICRC Regional Delegation in Central Asia.

This chapter is an abridged and updated version of Sayapin (2009). The author thanks Oxford University Press for the permission to use the published material in this chapter and Damien Rogers for his helpful comments on the chapter’s earlier draft.

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Notes

1.
These documents include, inter alia, DOCT/34–1985/5 (8 July 1985): “Les garanties judiciaires ‘reconnues comme indispensables par les peuples civilisés’ au sens de l’article 3 commun des Conventions de Genève”; DOCT/50–1988/5 (29 September 1988): “L’attitude du CICR en cas de grève de la faim en milieu carcéral”; DOCT/4–1993/1 (1 May 1993): “L’action du Comité international de la Croix–Rouge face aux situations de violence interne”; DD/DIR YS/SEM/29 August 1994: “Lignes directrices du CICR concernant la diffusion des droits de l’homme”; DOCT/56–1996/1 (29 May 1996): “Intervention du CICR dans le domaine judiciaire pour la protection de toutes les personnes soumises à une forme quelconque de détention ou d’emprisonnement”; DOCT/28–2003/5 (8 May 2003): “Lignes directrices sur les disparus”; DOCT/15–2005/10 (11 April 2005): “Les démarches du CICR en cas de violations du droit international humanitaire ou d’autres règles fondamentales qui protègent la personne humaine en situation de violence”; DIR0862 (28 June 2005): “A Guide for Dialogue on the Use of Force, Victim Assistance and Detention in Internal Disturbances and Other Situations of Internal Violence.”
2.
In the language of the Doctrine, “[i]nvocation means any explicit reference by the ICRC to IHRL texts, rules or soft law standards in representations responding to violations and in communications activities that do not necessarily respond to a specific violation” (ICRC 2006, 24).
3.
See the ICRC’s Mission Statement at: https://www.icrc.org/en/mandate-and-mission (accessed 26 July 2019).
4.
This principle should be distinguished from the principle of equality of parties to a legal dispute before a court. It rather means individuals’ equality as subjects or beneficiaries of applicable law, including international law. See, for example, Art. 1 of the UDHR: “All persons are born free and equal in their dignity and rights” (emphasis added).
5.
UN Charter, Article 1(3); ICCPR, Article 2(1); ICESCR, Articles 2(2) and 3; ECHR, Article 14, and Protocol 12; ACHPR, Article 2; CERD, Article 2; CEDAW, Article 2; CRC, Article 2(1).
6.
See, in particular: Geneva Conventions, common Article 3; GC III, Article 16; GC III, Article 13; AP I, Art. 75(1), AP II, Article 4(1).
7.
The wording has been adopted verbatim from the title of Resolution XXIII adopted by the International Conference on Human Rights, Tehran, 12 May 1968.
8.
ICCPR, Article 4(2); ECHR, Article 15(2); ACHR, Article 27(2). The ACHPR does not contain a provision on derogations from human rights in a state of emergency.
9.
GC I, Article 50; GC II, Article 51; GC III, Article 130; GC III, Article 147.
10.
ICTY, Judgment, The Prosecutor v. Zejnil Delalic and Others, IT-96-21-T, paras. 422–423. The distinction between two notions is therefore purely linguistic.
11.
The ICRC uses the broad term “ill-treatment” to cover both torture and other methods of abuse prohibited by international law, including inhuman, cruel, humiliating, and degrading treatment, outrages upon personal dignity and physical or moral coercion (see also Sayapin 2017).
12.
Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984.
13.
Lieber Code, Article 16.
14.
GC I, Article 12(2); GC II, Article 12(2); GC III, Articles 17(4), 87(3), 89; GC III, Article 32.
15.
AP I, Art. 75(2), AP II, Article 4(2).
16.
ICC Statute, Articles 7(1)(f), 8(2)(a)(ii), 8(2)(c)(i).
17.
On sexual violence in armed conflicts, see generally Quénivet (2005) and Tzivaras (2018).
18.
Lieber Code, Article 76.
19.
Brussels Declaration, Article 27.
20.
Oxford Manual, Article 69.
21.
Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck (2005), Rule 118, pp 428–431.
22.
Ibid., Rule 119, pp 431–433.
23.
Ibid., Rule 120, pp 433–435.
24.
Ibid., Rule 121, pp 435–437.
25.
Ibid., Rule 122, pp 437–439.
26.
Ibid., Rule 123, pp 439–442.
27.
Ibid., Rule 124(A), pp 442–443, 445.
28.
Ibid., Rule 124(B), pp 443–445.
29.
Ibid., Rule 125, pp 445–447.
30.
Ibid., Rule 126, pp 448–449.
31.
Ibid., Rule 127, pp 449–451.
32.
Ibid., Rule 128(A), pp 451–453, 454–456.
33.
Ibid., Rule 128(B), pp 452, 454–456.
34.
Ibid., Rule 128(C), pp 453–456. It should also be noted that rules 125–128 are mentioned elsewhere in Doctrine DOCT/63–2006/1 in conjunction with violations with respect to the family unit.
35.
UDHR, Article 4; ICCPR, Articles 8(1) and 8(3)(a); ECHR, Article 4(1); ACHR, Article 6; African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 5.
36.
ICCPR, Article 4(2); ECHR, Article 15(2); ACHR, Article 27(2).
37.
Lieber Code, Articles 23, 42, and 58.
38.
Hague Regulations, Article 45.
39.
GC III, Articles 49–68, 109–119; GC III, Articles 40, 51–52, 95–96, 132–135.
40.
AP II, Article 4(2)(f).
41.
GC III, Article 49.
42.
Ibid., Article 50.
43.
1929 Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Article 31.
44.
GC III, Article 52.
45.
Ibid., Articles 51 and 53–55.
46.
GC III, Articles 40 and 51.
47.
GC III, Article 95.
48.
AP II, Article 5(1)(e).
49.
ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxii) and 8(2)(e)(vi).
50.
Elements of Crimes for the ICC, Definition of sexual slavery (ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxii), including Footnote 53, and Article 8(2)(e)(vi), including Footnote 65).
51.
CRC, Article 1.
52.
18 years of age: compulsion to work in occupied territory (GC III, Article 51), pronouncement of the death penalty (GC III, Article 68), execution of the death penalty (AP I, Article 77), pronouncement of the death penalty (AP II, Article 6); 15 years of age: measures to ensure that orphans and children separated from their families are not left on their own (GC III, Article 24) same preferential treatment for aliens as for nationals (GC III, Article 38), preferential measures in regard to food, medical care, and protection adopted prior to occupation (GC III, Article 50), additional food for interned children in proportion with their physiological needs (GC III, Article 89), participation in hostilities and recruitment (AP I, Article 77, and AP II, Article 4); 12 years of age: arrangement for all children to be identified by the wearing of identity discs, or by some other means (GC III, Article 24).
53.
AP I, Article 77(2); AP II, Article 4(3)(c) (see also Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck 2005, Rules 136 and 137, 482–488).
54.
CRC, Article 38(3); African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Article 22(2); Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, Articles 1 and 3.
55.
ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxvi) and 8(2)(e)(vii).
56.
AP I, Article 77(2); AP II, Article 4(3)(c); ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxvi) and 8(2)(e)(vii); Statute of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Article 4; CRC, Article 38(3).
57.
Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, Articles 2 and 4.
58.
UDHR, Article 9; ICCPR, Article 9(1); ECHR, Article 5; ACHR, Article 7(3); African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 6.
59.
Generally, when there exists no legal basis for arrest or detention, it is regarded as arbitrary (for example, continued detention after the expiration of a previously imposed sentence, or detention resulting from disrespect for judicial guarantees or other procedural safeguards). Arrest or detention may be lawful under domestic law but still considered arbitrary where there is a violation of international legal standards or there has been an abuse of power. Overall, “arbitrary” is considered broader than “unlawful” arrest or detention. See, e.g., Albert Womah Mukong v. Cameroon, (458/1991), 21 July 1994, UN Doc. CCPR/C/51/D/458/1991, p. 12.
60.
GC I, Articles 28, 30, and 32.
61.
GC II, Articles 36 and 37.
62.
GC III, Articles 21 and 118.
63.
GC III, Articles 90, 95, 103, and 109.
64.
GC IV, Articles 42 and 78.
65.
For further details, see Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck (2005), 347.
66.
GC I, Article 49(4); GC II, Article 50(4); GC III, Articles 102–108; GC III, Articles 5 and 66–75; AP I, Articles 71(1) and 75(4); AP II, Article 6(2); Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, Article 17(2).
67.
ICCPR, Article 14(1); CRC, Article 40(2)(b)(iii); ECHR, Article 6(1); ACHR, Article 8(1); ACHPR, Article 7; UDHR, Article 10; American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, Article XVIII; Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, Article 19(e); EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, Article 47.
68.
GC III, Article 130; GC III, Article 147; AP I, Article 85(4)(e).
69.
For further details, see Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck (2005), Rule 100, 352–371. See also Sayapin (2004).
70.
See, in particular, Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck (2005), Rule 102, pp 372–374.
71.
Lieber Code, Article 37; Brussels Declaration, Article 38; Oxford Manual, Article 48.
72.
Hague Regulations, Article 46.
73.
GC III, Article 27(1).
74.
Ibid., Article 82(3).
75.
AP II, Article 4(3)(b) – reunion of families temporarily separated; AP II, Article 5(2)(a) – accommodation of men and women of the same family in detention or internment; CRC, Article 37(c) – accommodation of children with their parents during deprivation of liberty.
76.
ICCPR, Article 23(1); ICESCR, Article 10(1); ECHR Article 8; ACHR, Article 17(1); Protocol of San Salvador, Article 15(1); ACHPR, Article 18.
77.
ACHR, Articles 17 and 27(2).
78.
International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Doc. E/CN.4/2005/WG.22/WP.1/REV.4, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2006.
79.
For the ratification status of IHL treaties, see: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl (last accessed 26 July 2019).
80.
ICCPR, Article 12; Protocol 4 to the ECHR, Articles 2, 3; ACHR, Article 22; African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 12.
81.
ICCPR, Article 13; Protocol 4 to the ECHR, Article 4; ACHR, Article 22(6, 9); African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 12(5).
82.
Lieber Code, Article 23.
83.
IMT Charter (Nuremberg), Article 6(b).
84.
GC III, Article 147; AP I, Article 85(4)(a).
85.
ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(viii).
86.
AP II, Article 17(1).
87.
GC III, Article 49(2); AP II, Article 17(1).
88.
See ICRC (1998).
89.
Notably, the right is not protected under either the ICCPR or the ICESCR.
90.
GC I, Article 50; GC II, Article 51; GC III, Article147.
91.
ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xiii).
92.
Ibid., Article 8(2)(e)(xii).
93.
ICC Statute, Articles 8(2)(b)(xvi) and 8(2)(e)(v), respectively.

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International and Criminal Law, School of Law, KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Sergey Sayapin

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Schl of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
Damien Rogers

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Sayapin, S. (2021). International Committee of the Red Cross and the Use of International Human Rights Law. In: Rogers, D. (eds) Human Rights in War. International Human Rights. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5202-1_9-1

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5202-1_9-1
Received: 25 May 2020
Accepted: 05 July 2020
Published: 24 December 2020
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-5202-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-5202-1
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