The role of the UN Security Council in reducing serious violations of international humanitarian law

Abstract

This research addresses the role of the UN Security Council in reducing serious violations of international humanitarian law. The problem of the research is that there is a deficiency in the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, the provisions of the UN Charter, and the rules of international humanitarian law that call for the cessation of serious violations. Despite the existence of these provisions, they are often not implemented. Therefore, this research aims to answer the following question: (What is the role of the UN Security Council in reducing serious violations of international humanitarian law?) The importance of the research stems from the seriousness and gravity of the effects resulting from serious violations of international humanitarian law. It is necessary to shed light on the most important serious violations included in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol thereto, as well as the Rome Statute of 1998. The research aims to clarify the concept of serious violations and their forms, distinguish between them and minor violations, clarify the extent of their impact on groups protected under the rules of international humanitarian law, review the legal rules that guarantee protection from serious violations, and clarify the role played by the Security Council in protecting against These violations were investigated using analytical, descriptive, and comparative approaches. At the end of the study, several conclusions were reached, the most important of which are: The emergence of the International Criminal Court on the international judicial map and its prosecution of numerous individuals for grave violations prompted many countries to review their domestic laws to include the crimes stipulated in the 1998 Rome Statute. Countries continue to review their laws in this regard. The study recommended several recommendations, most notably: Warring parties must observe the rules of combat and refrain from deviating from the principle of chivalry, which requires refraining from killing the weak and those protected under international humanitarian law when war becomes a reality. In return, countries must amend their domestic laws to align with the policy and direction of the UN Security Council aimed at reducing grave violations.