Millions of people live with the unrelenting impacts of armed conflict – wars – every year. They die, are wounded, treated without dignity or subjected to cruel treatment, and find themselves displaced from their homes, often with limited access to healthcare and other essential supplies. They suffer untold suffering, both directly and through their relationships with family, neighbours and communities. These people – whether military personnel or civilians – are the victims of a multitude of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights.
The roots of armed conflict are complex. They include the emergence of new powers aspirating to become the dominant power(s) in the world system, or to replace existing ones – so-called hegemonic wars. They can also be caused by the pursuit of natural resources, the exploitation of which triggers territorial disputes between States.
Moreover, ethnic and religious tensions can lead to violent clashes between societal groups. They are frequently triggered by discrimination, oppression and marginalization which can be used as a justification for taking up arms to challenge the status quo.
Many of these armed conflicts are international in nature, but the complexity of contemporary armed conflicts defies formal legal criteria. In addition, a number of international armed conflicts are involving State and non-State armed actors in a manner that calls into question the existence of an IAC, or even the applicability of IHL. To address this issue, the ICRC has developed an approach to legally classifying armed conflict that is set out in its 2024 Opinion Paper.