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The Principles of

Humanitarian Action in

International Humanitarian

Law

Kate Mackintosh

HPG Report 5March 2000

Overseas Development Institute

HPG ReportH U M A N I T A R I A NP O L I C Y G R O U PThe Humanitarian Policy Group atthe Overseas Development

Institute is Europe’s leading teamof independent policy researchersdedicated to improvinghumanitarian policy and practicein response to conflict, instabilityand disasters.

Study 4 in: The Politics of Principle: theprinciples of humanitarian action in practice

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Notes on the Author:

Study Notes

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Please send comments on this paper to:

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Contents1 Introduction 1

2 Parameters 32.1 Definitions 3

2.1.1 Humanitarian principles 32.1.2 International humanitarian law 3

2.2 Relevance of international law to relief agencies 32.3 The letter of the law vs the spirit of the Conventions 4

2.3.1 Non-international conflict 42.3.2 International armed conflict 4

3 The Principles of Humanitarian Action 53.1 ’Humanitarian’ 53.2 ’Impartial’ 63.3 ’Neutral’3.4 Other conditions: ‘neutrality’ in detail 6

4 Conditionality and Consent 94.1 Human rights ‘conditionality’ 94.2 Consent

5 Conclusion 11End Notes 12

Bibliography 13

Appendix 1: Articles of the Geneva Conventionsand Additional Protocols Relating to Civilian Relief (non-medical) 14

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1. Introduction

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2. Parameters

2.1. Definitions

2.1.1 Humanitarian principles

2.1.2 International humanitarian law

2.2 Relevance of international humanitarian law torelief agencies

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2.3 The letter of the law vs. the spirit of theConventions

2.3.1 Non-international armed conflict

2.3.2 International armed conflict

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3. The Principles of HumanitarianAction

3.1 ‘Humanitarian’

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3.2 ‘Impartial’

3.3 ‘Neutral’

3.4 Other conditions: ‘neutrality’ in detail

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5. Conclusion

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End Notes

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Bibliography

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Appendix 1: Articles of the GenevaConventions and Additional ProtocolsRelating to Civilian Relief (non-medical)

Geneva Convention IV

Additional Protocol I

Additional Protocol II