International Review of the Red Cross

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Organized Crime

Organized crime deeply undermines peace and security by contributing to armed violence all around the world, in the context of both armed conflict and other situations of violence. The human and humanitarian costs are astronomical. This edition of the Review examines the intersections among organized crime, armed conflict and other situations of violence, looking at the vexing legal, ethical and operational questions this nexus raises.

Articles in this issue

Organized Crime in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence author: Robert Muggah

14 min read

Speech by Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross author:

14 min read

Hidden stories: Survivors of organized crime author:

27 min read

The humanitarian impact of armed violence on communities – the Americas perspective: Interview with Sophie Orr author:

15 min read

(Transnational) Organized crime and corruption in conflict settings: Interview with Ms Ghada Waly author:

23 min read

Can criminal organizations be non-State parties to armed conflict? author: Pablo Kalmanovitz

51 min read

Negotiating with organized crime groups: Questions of law, policy and imagination author: Mark Freeman, Mariana Casij Peña

33 min read

Targeting drug lords: Challenges to IHL between lege lata and lege ferenda author: Chiara Redaelli, Carlos Arévalo

56 min read

Harvesting vulnerability: The challenges of organ trafficking in armed conflict author: Thomas Martial

90 min read

The regulation of crimes against water in armed conflicts and other situations of violence author: Mara Tignino

77 min read

The question of definition: Armed banditry in Nigeria's North-West in the context of international humanitarian law author: Tosin Osasona

42 min read

Symbiosis in violence: A case study from Sierra Leone of the international humanitarian law implications of parties to the conflict engaging in organized crime author: Sally Longworth

63 min read

Opening Pandora's box: The case of Mexico and the threshold of non-international armed conflicts author: Juan Francisco Padin

63 min read

Is Rio de Janeiro preparing for war? Combating organized crime versus non-international armed conflict author: Najla Nassif Palma

94 min read

Militarization and privatization of security: From the War on Drugs to the fight against organized crime in Latin America author: Antoine Perret

58 min read

Crime wars: Operational perspectives on criminal armed groups in Mexico and Brazil author: John P. Sullivan

76 min read

Librarian’s Pick: Intersections in cultural heritage law author: Charlotte Mohr

13 min read

The legal limits to the destruction of natural resources in non-international armed conflicts: Applying international humanitarian law author: Saeed Bagheri

93 min read

The Rif War: A forgotten war? author: Pascal Daudin

82 min read

Unveiling claims of discrimination based on nationality in the context of occupation under international humanitarian and human rights law author: George Dvaladze

47 min read

Will the centre hold? Countering the erosion of the principle of distinction on the digital battlefield author: Kubo Mačák

79 min read

The Bystander, the Good Samaritan and the Just in the Holocaust and international humanitarian law author: Theodor Meron

24 min read

Rethinking direct participation in hostilities and continuous combat function in light of targeting members of terrorist non-State armed groups author: Rebecca Mignot-Mahdavi

54 min read

“How did they die?”: Bridging humanitarian and criminal-justice objectives in forensic science to advance the rights of families of the missing under international humanitarian law author: Anjli Parrin

67 min read

IHL in the era of climate change: The application of the UN climate change regime to belligerent occupations author: Romina Edith Pezzot

60 min read

Humanitarianism and affect-based education: Emotional experiences at the Jean-Pictet Competition author: Rebecca Sutton, Emiliano J. Buis

81 min read

Detonating the air: The legality of the use of thermobaric weapons under international humanitarian law author: Arthur van Coller

76 min read

The Rights to Privacy and Data Protection in Times of Armed Conflict author:

25 min read

Some key documents on the ICRC's response to armed violence and more author:

2 min read

ICRC report on Detention by Non-State Armed Groups: Obligations under International Humanitarian Law and Examples of How to Implement Them author:

2 min read

The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report and the applicability of Additional Protocol II to intervening foreign forces author: Carrie McDougall

73 min read

Issue highlights and related materials

ICRC

Event Video - The humanitarian costs of organized crime

ICRC

The Rif War: A forgotten war?

ICRC

Intersections in Cultural Heritage Law

Previous Reviews

All reviews

Persons with disabilities in armed conflict

Persons with disabilities constitute approximately fifteen percent of the global population – a figure that only rises during crises. Armed conflicts, in particular, generate new disabilities, exacerbate the existing barriers faced by persons with disabilities, and expose the whole community to greater harm. Yet, the experiences of persons with disabilities in armed conflict and the effects of armed conflict on this population are sorely understudied. In addition, discussions of the effects of armed conflicts on persons with disabilities have too often failed to include the voices and perspectives of that community. This edition of the International Review of the Red Cross aims to reshape the landscape. Its thirty thought-provoking contributions, including many authored by persons with disabilities, jointly take stock of the legal protections (and lack thereof) for persons with disabilities in armed conflicts, and reflect critically how to move the legal and policy debates forward in the next few years.

Humanitarian Law & Policy blog

ICRC Blog 2 days 16 hours ago

Mobile phones for participation: building responsible public-private humanitarian partnerships
Susanna Acland & Barnaby Willitts-King

ICRC Blog 4 days 18 hours ago

Deploying OSINT in armed conflict settings: law, ethics, and the need for a new theory of harm
Ed Millett

ICRC Blog 2 weeks 2 days ago

Responding to climate risks in conflict settings: in search of solutions
Catherine-Lune Grayson & Amir Khouzam

Featured

ICRC 27 Jun 2023

Events

Other events

Dec 11

2023 War Surgery Seminar: "The management of patients with war wounds"

11 Dec 2023 - 00:00 - 02:00

Dec 12

EVENT: How is the Environment Protected During Armed Conflict?

12 Dec 2023 - 14:30 - 16:30

Jan 23

Symposium on Cybersecurity and Data Protection in Humanitarian Action | 2° edition

23 Jan 2024 - 08:00 - 10:00

Organized Crime

Organized Crime in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence author: Robert Muggah

Speech by Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross author:

Hidden stories: Survivors of organized crime author:

The humanitarian impact of armed violence on communities – the Americas perspective: Interview with Sophie Orr author:

(Transnational) Organized crime and corruption in conflict settings: Interview with Ms Ghada Waly author:

Can criminal organizations be non-State parties to armed conflict? author: Pablo Kalmanovitz

Negotiating with organized crime groups: Questions of law, policy and imagination author: Mark Freeman, Mariana Casij Peña

Targeting drug lords: Challenges to IHL between lege lata and lege ferenda author: Chiara Redaelli, Carlos Arévalo

Harvesting vulnerability: The challenges of organ trafficking in armed conflict author: Thomas Martial

The regulation of crimes against water in armed conflicts and other situations of violence author: Mara Tignino

The question of definition: Armed banditry in Nigeria's North-West in the context of international humanitarian law author: Tosin Osasona

Symbiosis in violence: A case study from Sierra Leone of the international humanitarian law implications of parties to the conflict engaging in organized crime author: Sally Longworth

Opening Pandora's box: The case of Mexico and the threshold of non-international armed conflicts author: Juan Francisco Padin

Is Rio de Janeiro preparing for war? Combating organized crime versus non-international armed conflict author: Najla Nassif Palma

Militarization and privatization of security: From the War on Drugs to the fight against organized crime in Latin America author: Antoine Perret

Crime wars: Operational perspectives on criminal armed groups in Mexico and Brazil author: John P. Sullivan

Librarian’s Pick: Intersections in cultural heritage law author: Charlotte Mohr

The legal limits to the destruction of natural resources in non-international armed conflicts: Applying international humanitarian law author: Saeed Bagheri

The Rif War: A forgotten war? author: Pascal Daudin

Unveiling claims of discrimination based on nationality in the context of occupation under international humanitarian and human rights law author: George Dvaladze

Will the centre hold? Countering the erosion of the principle of distinction on the digital battlefield author: Kubo Mačák

The Bystander, the Good Samaritan and the Just in the Holocaust and international humanitarian law author: Theodor Meron

Rethinking direct participation in hostilities and continuous combat function in light of targeting members of terrorist non-State armed groups author: Rebecca Mignot-Mahdavi

“How did they die?”: Bridging humanitarian and criminal-justice objectives in forensic science to advance the rights of families of the missing under international humanitarian law author: Anjli Parrin

IHL in the era of climate change: The application of the UN climate change regime to belligerent occupations author: Romina Edith Pezzot

Humanitarianism and affect-based education: Emotional experiences at the Jean-Pictet Competition author: Rebecca Sutton, Emiliano J. Buis

Detonating the air: The legality of the use of thermobaric weapons under international humanitarian law author: Arthur van Coller

The Rights to Privacy and Data Protection in Times of Armed Conflict author:

Some key documents on the ICRC's response to armed violence and more author:

ICRC report on Detention by Non-State Armed Groups: Obligations under International Humanitarian Law and Examples of How to Implement Them author:

The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report and the applicability of Additional Protocol II to intervening foreign forces author: Carrie McDougall

Issue highlights and related materials

Previous Reviews

Persons with disabilities in armed conflict

Humanitarian Law & Policy blog

Mobile phones for participation: building responsible public-private humanitarian partnerships Susanna Acland & Barnaby Willitts-King

Deploying OSINT in armed conflict settings: law, ethics, and the need for a new theory of harm Ed Millett

Responding to climate risks in conflict settings: in search of solutions Catherine-Lune Grayson & Amir Khouzam

Featured

Events

Search

Mobile phones for participation: building responsible public-private humanitarian partnerships
Susanna Acland & Barnaby Willitts-King

Deploying OSINT in armed conflict settings: law, ethics, and the need for a new theory of harm
Ed Millett

Responding to climate risks in conflict settings: in search of solutions
Catherine-Lune Grayson & Amir Khouzam