"International Humanitarian Law Versus Nuclear Weapons"

John Burroughs, J.D., Ph.D.

Article by John Burroughs, J.D., Ph.D.
published by Disarmament Times
Winter 2013

"Since the dawn of the nuclear age, the detonation of nuclear weapons has been condemned as contrary to humanitarian values and law. While this view was subordinated during the Cold War, it has now surged to the forefront of the disarmament enterprise. 
 
This article explains the current state of international humanitarian law (IHL) rules particularly relevant to nuclear weapons, with a focus on those cited by the Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in its November 2011 resolution, “Working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.” In that resolution, the Council stated that it is “difficult to envisage how any use of nuclear weapons could be compatible with the rules of international humanitarian law, in particular the rules of distinction, precaution and proportionality.”   Continue reading...
 
 
 
Dr. John Burroughs is Executive Director of Lawyers Committee for Nuclear Policy (LCNP), Executive Director of the United Nations office of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), and a Fellow with The Simons Foundation.