Ellen Policinski

Technology and the ICRC’s GC IV 2025 Commentary The 2025 ICRC GC IV Commentary integrates technology into its analysis, and raises concerns about its treatment of data as property.

As part of our joint symposium with @icrclawpolicy.bsky.social and @ejiltalk.bsky.social, @mikeschmitt.bsky.social surveys how the @icrc.org's updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention integrates technology in its analysis of specific rules:

www.justsecurity.org/132950/techn...

GC IV: Internment in Non-Occupied Territory International humanitarian law (IHL) treaties use a range of terms to denote deprivation of liberty, one of which is internment. While there is no legal definition, internment is understood to mean th...

GC IV: Internment in Non-Occupied Territory | by Jelena Pejic

This post is part of a symposium is being run in collaboration with @justsecurity.org and the @icrc.org.

Commenting Anew on Article 23 of Geneva Convention IV New Commentary on Geneva Convention IV describes Article 23 as "significantly diminished" in importance in today's legal context.

As part of our joint symposium with @ejiltalk.bsky.social and @icrclawpolicy.bsky.social, @tomdannenbaum.bsky.social analyzes the new @icrc.org Commentary deeming the GC IV's Article 23 as “significantly diminished” in importance in today’s legal context:

www.justsecurity.org/131513/comme...

The adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions: a humanitarian break and colonial continuity How colonial legacies shaped the Fourth Geneva Convention, occupation law, and the evolution of humanitarian protection.

⚖️ As we update the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions, what histories must we revisit?

Part of @icrc.org’s joint symposium with @justsecurity.org & @ejiltalk.bsky.social, this piece revisits the 1949 #GenevaConventions from a colonized perspective.

Read more → bit.ly/4shUSYN

Subsequent practice in the ICRC’s updated Commentary on GC IV Since 2011, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)  has been engaged in a project to revise and update its Commentaries on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols....

Subsequent practice in the ICRC’s updated Commentary on GC IV | by Abhimanyu George Jain and Ellen Policinski

This post is part of a symposium is being run in collaboration with @justsecurity.org and the @icrc.org

The ICRC’s New Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention ​The ICRC's updated Commentary on GC IV fills a loophole-closing function and reasserts IHL’s core protective purpose.

Prof. @eliavl.bsky.social explains how the @icrc.org Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention closes loopholes and reasserts international humanitarian law's core protective function.
Part of our symposium with @ejiltalk.bsky.social & @icrclawpolicy.bsky.social
www.justsecurity.org/131465/closi...

Reading the Updated Commentary on GCIV in an Imperial Moment The updated ICRC Commentary of the Fourth Geneva Convention (GCIV) is a monumental, if not timely, achievement. At its core, it provides a set of very useful legal interpretations on an enormous body ...

Reading the Updated Commentary on GCIV in an Imperial Moment | by Boyd van Dijk

This post is part of a symposium is being run in collaboration with @justsecurity.org and the @icrc.org

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: the ICRC’s approach to Common Article 3 in its updated Commentary This post explores the ICRC Commentary on Common Article 3, highlighting key updates and what they reveal about modern armed conflict law.

⚖️ Common Article 3 to the fourth #GenevaConventions hasn’t been rewritten; it’s been updated.

As a part of an @ICRC joint symposium with @justsecurity.org & @ejiltalk.bsky.social on the updated Commentary on GC IV, today's post examines three key updates to CA3.

tinyurl.com/mxf6bv29

Symposium: Updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention Expert authors examine key interpretive issues and selected topics in the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Just Security is delighted to co-host a symposium with @icrclawpolicy.bsky.social and @ejiltalk.bsky.social on the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention on protection of civilians during war. Read the first contribution by Jean-Marie Henckaerts:

www.justsecurity.org/131639/sympo...

Protecting civilians in good faith: A joint symposium on the updated ICRC Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention Following five years of research and consultations, the ICRC published a new, updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention (GC IV) of 1949 in October 2025. GC IV is the cornerstone of protection...

Protecting civilians in good faith: A joint symposium on the updated ICRC Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention | by Mary Guest

Protecting civilians in good faith: a joint symposium on the updated ICRC Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention When law is read in good faith, it becomes a shield. GC IV’s purpose is simple: protect human beings in war.

⚖️We're delighted to co-host a joint symposium with @justsecurity.org and @ejiltalk.bsky.social on the updated @icrc.org Commentary on the GC IV.

Following 5 years of research, it consolidates 70+ years of law and practice to guide civilian protection today.

Read more → bit.ly/3OiPkOU

Very happy to share the @icrc.org updated commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in war is now out. The commentary is available for free online - ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treat....

Launch of the Updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention (event highlights) On the 17th of October, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection…

Video highlights from the panel discussion launching the Updated @icrc.org Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war. #IHL

Complying with IHL in large-scale conflicts: How should states prepare to allow and facilitate delivery of humanitarian relief? How states can proactively shape laws and administrative systems to facilitate humanitarian relief in the event of large-scale armed conflict.

🌐 Many barriers to life-saving aid come not from conflict, but from peacetime rules

This post shows how customs, regulations and administrative hurdles delay relief, and why enabling access requires preparation long before crises begin

Read more → bit.ly/4pTJykp
@icrc.org @epolicinski.bsky.social

It is possible to protect civilians in war:

👥 Meet the panelists for: “Launch of the Updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

The panelists will come together for a dynamic discussion on the Commentary’s key findings and their practical implications.

Register now: bit.ly/49Ei3Gi
@icrc.org #GenevaConventions #GCIV

EVENT: Launch of the Updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention

📝 The updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention is now available.

Join us on 27 Nov 2025 for a launch event exploring key findings & their implications for protecting civilians in war.
Sign up & read here → bit.ly/49Ei3Gi

#GenevaConventions #IHL #LawOfWar #GCIV

This is a must-have guide for practitioners. The updated Commentary on the 4th Geneva Convention helps align the interpretation of international humanitarian law with 75 years of legal evolution, new technologies, and modern State practice.
Read it here👉🏽 ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treat...

How should the Geneva Conventions be interpreted in today’s wars? YouTube video by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

@icrc.org has updated our Commentary to the Fourth Geneva Convention, translating 1949 protections into today’s realities.
Protecting civilians in the hands of the enemy, in occupied territory - the 4th Geneva Convention remains more relevant than ever.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXd41pXzQuY

Protecting civilians in good faith: the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention Good faith interpretation means reading GC IV in a way that realizes its object and purpose - to protect human beings in times of war.

📜 “It is possible to protect civilians in war.”

After five years of research and consultations, the @icrc.org has released the updated Commentary on GC IV, the cornerstone of civilian protection in armed conflict and occupation.

Read more → bit.ly/4ovsaSf
#IHL #GenevaConventions

Transmission of info by ICRC Central Tracing Agency in int'l armed conflicts Read about the transmission of information by the ICRC's Central Tracing Agency in international armed conflicts.

🕯️As #EnforcedDisappearancesDay nears, we reflect not only on lives missing, but also on legal protections that must not be forgotten. This article shows why IHL, in particular #GCIV, still matters today.

🔗 Read more: blogs.icrc.org/law-and-poli...

#ICRC #GCIV #GenevaConventions

Coming soon: ICRC Commentary on the 4th Geneva Convention YouTube video by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

🕊️ 76 years since the adoption of the #GenevaConventions

To mark this anniversary, the #ICRC will soon release the updated GCIV Commentary.

Watch the teaser to learn more about why this remains essential in today’s conflicts.

🎥 www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8Ng...

Did you know the @icrc.org's first president was a General? Swiss General Dufour died exactly 150 years ago. The ICRC’s humanitarian mission was grounded in battlefield experience from the start.
🔗Today’s military perspectives in the Intl Review of the Red Cross: library.icrc.org/library/sear...

Joint series: Locating the Geneva Conventions Commentaries in the international legal landscape - Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog Where do the ICRC Commentaries fit into the legal landscape? What are the rules governing treaty interpretation and how do they operate in the area of IHL? Where does the ICRC’s legitimacy to interpre...

📝 “All laws, no matter how detailed they are, have to be interpreted when being applied.”

The #ICRC is proud to announce that its GCIV Commentary will be available soon. Explore how the ICRC approaches this task and why it matters: bit.ly/3U25tbc

#GenevaConventions

Come work with the ICRC legal division! We're now hiring associates for next year. Deadline to apply is 1 June: careers.icrc.org/job/Geneva-%...

Starting over with a starter pack of people who work at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), particularly but not exclusively on international humanitarian law ( #IHL ).

(My earlier 'IHL & humanitarians' pack was becoming a challenge to manage, sorry!)

Book Launch - The Authority of the International Committee of the Red Cross: Determining What International Humanitarian Law Is - The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights <p>In his book launch, Linus Mührel will discuss his book’s main findings with experts from academia and the ICRC.</p>

Looking forward to discussing Linus Muehrel's book The Authority of the ICRC: Determining What IHL Is with Marco Sassoli and Fuad Zarbiyev tomorrow. If you're in Geneva, come join us at 12:30 at the Villa Moynier! www.geneva-academy.ch/event/all-ev...

The brochure provides a general introduction to IHL and highlights specific rules and protections that are particularly important for private business entities and their personnel.

Informal portrait of ICRC staff responsible for the updated commentary to the Geneva Conventions, and members of the Editorial Committee.

Another successful Editorial Committee meeting this week in Geneva, discussing draft commentaries on the Fourth Geneva Convention for the updated ICRC commentary. We expect online publication in 2025. Existing commentaries available here: ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treat...
#IHL #IntLaw #ICRC