Human rights in armed conflicts: Civilian protection under evolving warfare tactics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71085/sss.04.03.352Keywords:
Civilian Protection, Human Rights Law, Armed Conflict, Modern Warfare, International Humanitarian LawAbstract
The main mission is to analyse the question that point out whether there is adequacy in existing legal instruments, such as Geneva Conventions and Customary International Law, in approaching the harm to civilians in the era of new tactics. The study as a whole hypothesizes that gaps that exist in enforcing, accountability and adaptability limit how those protections exist and are put into action. Using a qualitative approach, the research includes legal analysis, case studies from recent crises (i.e. Syria, Ukraine, Yemen) and experts interviews with legal academics, humanitarian works and military advisors. It is thanks to these practices that the possibility of establishing a comparative analysis of the way civilian protection norms are interpreted and applied in the light of different options of conflict of a specific nature is opened. The paper concludes with legal as well as policy proposals of enhancing legal protection of the civilian in conflict zones during modern times, which include: A clearer definition of what new challenges are contravening civilians, capacity enhancement, and international cooperation.
Downloads
References
Abbasi, M., Sethi, A. H., & Hassan, A. (2025). Exploring the development of human rights law, focusing on issues such as digital rights, refugee protections, and international humanitarian law. Review of Economics, Administration & Law, 10(1), 1–18. http://real.spcrd.org/index.php/real/article/view/427
Akande, D. (2022). International law and the changing character of armed conflict. Journal of Conflict & Security Law, 27(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcsl/krac003
Atmani, A. (2025). Protection accorded to civilians and civilian objects in armed conflicts under IHL. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 18(1), 33–47. https://asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/273720
Boothby, W. H. (2022). New technologies and the law in war and peace. Cambridge University Press.
Boyle, M. J. (2021). The future of drone warfare. Foreign Affairs, 100(3), 112–124.
Brehm, M. (2022). Urban warfare and civilian protection: Legal and practical challenges. International Review of the Red Cross, 104(919), 765–788. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383122000289
Choo, J. C. (2023). Reconstructing hidden international humanitarian law violations through digital forensics: Case studying Palestine and the greater Middle East. Gonzaga Journal of International Law, 27(2), 145–177.
Cryer, R. (2023). Accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. Oxford University Press.
Dörmann, K. (2020). The legal framework of international humanitarian law: Contemporary challenges. Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, 23, 33–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-439-7_2
Gisel, L., Rodenhäuser, T., & Dörmann, K. (2020). Twenty years on: International humanitarian law and the protection of civilians against the effects of cyber operations during armed conflicts. International Review of the Red Cross, 102(913), 1075–1109. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383120000422
Greipl, A. R. (2023). Artificial intelligence in urban warfare: Opportunities to enhance the protection of civilians? Military Law and the Law of War Review, 61(2), 191–212. https://doi.org/10.4337/mllwr.2023.02.04
Heller, K. J. (2021). The concept of civilian immunity in modern conflict. Leiden Journal of International Law, 34(4), 783–802. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0922156521000417
Jacob, C., & Mathieson, N. (2021). Drone warfare and the human protection transnational legal order. In Drones and Global Order (pp. 85–106). Routledge.
Kleffner, J. (2020). Cyber operations and international humanitarian law: The legal framework. Journal of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict, 33(1), 9–26.
Lin, H. (2022). Cyber conflict and civilian harm: A legal and ethical analysis. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 23(2), 45–59.
Mégret, F. (2021). The humanization of international humanitarian law. Oxford University Press.
Muhammedally, S. (2024). Understanding risks and mitigating civilian harm in urban operations. Canadian Army Journal, 21(1), 55–72.
Qureshi, W. A. (2020). Modern war, nonstate actors and the Geneva Conventions: No longer fit for purpose? San Diego International Law Journal, 22(1), 133–162.
Roberts, A. (2021). Adaptability of the laws of war: Historical lessons for contemporary conflicts. International Review of the Red Cross, 103(916-917), 487–508. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383121000485
Sandesh Sivakumaran. (2020). Non-state armed groups and international law. Human Rights Law Review, 20(3), 515–546. https://doi.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngaa017
Sassòli, M. (2022). International humanitarian law: Rules, controversies, and solutions to problems arising in warfare. Edward Elgar.
Schmitt, M. N., & Vihul, L. (2023). Tallinn Manual 3.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. Cambridge University Press.
Talha, A., Iqbal, A., & Khan, F. S. (2025). Revisiting the Geneva Conventions: Are the four core conventions sufficient for 21st-century warfare? Critical Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, 9(1), 77–99.
UN Human Rights Council. (2023). Report on the impact of armed conflict on civilians. United Nations.
Waszink, C. (2011). Protection of civilians under international humanitarian law: Trends and challenges. NOREF Report
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
.png)
