Publisher's Synopsis
At the beginning of the 21st century, international humanitarian law-the area of international law that addresses parties involved in armed conflicts-faces new challenges. The discussion on its further development is being revived by the introduction of modern weapons systems and methods of warfare, many of which are information technology-driven, and by dangerous asymmetric conflicts between state and non-state actors, such as covert transnational terrorist organizations. Against this background, detailed study of the legal sources of international humanitarian law takes on special significance. The collection is conceived as a bilingual German-English parallel text edition. It is designed to be a practical reference tool for international negotiations, military training, humanitarian or peacekeeping missions, and to give its users quick access to these documents in reliable English and German versions. It will also prove helpful to students of international law or politics, media representatives who report on international humanitarian law-related issues, or Red Cross volunteers and staff who act as multipliers. This volume contains German-language versions of all texts. If a German-language version was not available-such as for the Roerich Pact of 1935, the Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nurnberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal, the Model Status-of-Forces Agreement for Peace-Keeping Operations (1990), and the Draft Code of Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind (1996)-translations prepared by the German Translation Section at the United Nations in New York and the Language Services Division at the Federal Foreign Office helped complete the collection. The publication of what is already the third edition of this collection of Documents on International Humanitarian Law is a testament to the close cooperation between the Federal Foreign Office, the German Red Cross and the Federal Ministry of Defense on disseminating information in this field. It underscores once again that Germany's Federal Government and National Red Cross Society are conscientious in fulfilling their obligation under the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and more specifically Article 83 thereof, to disseminate knowledge of international humanitarian law among the civilian population and the armed forces. The fact that the entire print run of the second edition of 'Documents on International Humanitarian Law' has sold out in only four years further spotlights the collection's reputation as a reliable reference work. The purpose of this updated edition, which has been expanded to include the Arms Trade Treaty of 2 April 2013 (Document 54), is to ensure that this collection remains a practical and relevant tool for everyone in the field. The conception of this collection as a bilingual English-German parallel text edition remains unaltered. It is designed to be a practical work of reference for international negotiations, military instruction, humanitarian or peacekeeping missions, and to give its users quick access to these documents with reliable English and German texts. It has become an indispensable resource for many students, academics and others interested in the law, politics, social studies and journalism, who are concerned with armed conflicts. The book is also used by many German Red Cross volunteers and staff who are involved in spreading knowledge of international humanitarian law.
