Book

Allies, partners and proxies : an introduction to support relationships in armed conflict

[ICRC's Support Relationship in Armed Conflicts project]

Geneva : ICRC, June 2021

32 p. : graph.

English

The ICRC defines a support relationship in armed conflict as one in which an actor provides support to a party to armed conflict that increases the latter’s capacity to conduct armed conflict. The ICRC believes that support relationships have the potential, exercised or not, to positively influence the protection afforded to those not fighting. The ICRC encourages actors in support relationships to take a broad view of their influence over how conflicts are fought and how their aftermath is managed. Through continued engagement and sharing of experiences with actors in support relationships, the ICRC aims to facilitate an understanding of good practices to reduce the human cost of war. To that end, this document asks decision makers to consider pragmatic ways to mitigate the risk of negative humanitarian consequences and enhance the protection of those not fighting, including through better respect for international humanitarian law. This document provides an overview of such protective framework, based on the full publication that tackles the issue in a comprehensive manner.

• Full text

• See two-page summary
• See full publication 'Allies, partners and proxies: managing support relationships in armed conflict to reduce the human cost of war'