Szukaj

Drawing on authoritative sources, this glossary offers an overview of common terms used in discussing situations of armed conflict.

International humanitarian law (IHL) aims to lessen the horrible effects of armed conflict by outlining states' and non-state armed groups' responsibilities during an armed conflict. The EU and its Member States are bound by these rules. As IHL only applies in wartime, compliance of common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions and operations with IHL has not yet been put to the test. Despite the possibility, according to the Treaties, for the EU to deploy peace enforcement missions, Member ...

Human rights are under severe threat around the world. This is due to several factors, including the rise of authoritarianism, the COVID-19 pandemic, deepening economic inequalities, and conflicts that take an ever-higher human toll. Even more alarmingly, human rights violations are taking place in a climate of rising impunity. Tackling impunity globally is therefore becoming an urgent task. In June 2022, EPRS – together with two non-governmental organisations, Fight Impunity and No Peace Without ...

Ending impunity for serious crimes against human rights and humanitarian norms is an important EU and United Nations objective. It is essential in overcoming the legacy of past conflict and building the basis of stable, peaceful societies, as shown by the experience of societies that have taken this path in recent decades. The EU has developed a comprehensive approach to help non-EU countries implement transitional justice.

Since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine there has been mounting evidence of what may constitute violations of international criminal law in the conduct of the war. Active investigations into alleged core international crimes (which are classified as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) have begun, with the involvement of the Ukrainian authorities, the International Criminal Court, and other international organisations. The EU is playing an active role in this process, with Eurojust ...

The military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has pushed hundreds of thousands of people to flee the country and seek shelter in neighbouring countries. With each passing hour, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating both within and outside the country. Several Ukrainian cities have reportedly lost access to water, heating, electricity and basic supplies, while the civilian population is subject to shelling and violence. While outside Ukraine's borders, the international humanitarian ...

Liczba osób potrzebujących pomocy humanitarnej na całym świecie ma wzrosnąć do 274 mln w 2022 r., co oznacza, że osób w potrzebie będzie prawie o dwie trzecie więcej niż w 2020 r. Obecnie kryzysy humanitarne trwają średnio ponad dziewięć lat; pomoc jest często niewystarczająca, a prawo humanitarne częściej naruszane. Komisja Europejska zaproponowała nowe sposoby współpracy z partnerami i innymi darczyńcami na całym świecie w celu szybszego reagowania na sytuacje nadzwyczajne i skuteczniejszego dostarczania ...

In light of the current highly challenging background of humanitarian intervention for the European Union and international humanitarian donors, the European Commission has adopted a Communication on the EU’s humanitarian action: new challenges, same principles. It provides guidelines on how the EU may face this challenge in collaboration with Member States and donor partners. The Communication focuses on two main areas: (1) addressing needs, reducing the funding gap, and (2) supporting an enabling ...

International law imposes an obligation to render assistance to persons and ships in distress at sea, which must be provided regardless of the persons' nationality or status or the circumstances in which they are found. These rules have to be applied without prejudice to the obligations deriving from international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including in particular the prohibition of refoulement. Search and rescue (SAR) and disembarkation activities of EU Member States are ...