Edgar Raul Leoni Moreno: International Humanitarian Law protects the most vulnerable in armed conflicts

The International Humanitarian Law (IHL), or the laws of armed conflict (LAC), is the most remarkable strand that covers the group of conventional and customary laws, applicable in military conflicts. These laws regulate combat means and methods and protect people and properties that are affected by the confrontation.

The goal of these laws is to limit and mitigate the effects caused by armed conflicts. For this reason, in the LAC, the needs for hostility, along with the humanitarian requirements are settled. At this point, the LAC differences between what is permitted (licit) and what it is not.

The referred laws emphasize the principles of human treat and no discrimination. This means that every person in the world must be treated properly and without any kind of segregation based on sex, nationality, race, religious or political believes.

Particularly, the ones who are out of the offensive must be identified as what they are. The combatants that surrender, the crew stuck to attacked aircraft, wounded people, castaways, war prisoners and other captive or detained people, pacifist people that act as civilians, as well as medical and religious personnel, must be treated with humanity and protected from any attack.

Concerning military necessity, every combat action must be justified with the reasons required. That is to say that all unnecessary warlike action is forbidden. As well as attacking pacific people that are out of combat, the reason is that this will not grant any military advantage.

In the international treaties' rules, it is strictly taken into account that military necessity cannot be started as an excuse to invalidate the armed conflicts' rights. This is why the use of weapons, projectiles, materials, and methods that cause superfluous damage or unnecessary suffering, are restricted.