The Roots of Restraint in War
How humanitarian organisations can exert influence on the process of norm formation to foster better respect for civilians caught up in armed conflict
Abstract
The ICRC’s “Roots of Restraint Study” (formerly known as the “Roots of Behaviour in War study update”) sets out to identify how the ICRC and other humanitarian organisations can exert influence on the process of norm formation to foster better respect for civilians caught up in armed conflict.
The concept of this new study takes into account the recommendations made in the ICRC’s Roots of Behaviour in War study published in 2004 (namely that the ICRC approach the teaching of IHL as a legal and political issue and not as a moral one, and that the ICRC should encourage the integration of IHL into doctrine with hierarchically organised arms carriers.) It also takes into account the fact that many of the armed conflicts that erupted over the last decade have been carried out by armed groups that do not possess a centralised structure and chain of command.
Drawing on 8 case studies across 5 countries, The ‘Roots of Restraint in War’ investigates how formal and informal norms condition the behaviour of soldiers and fighters depending on the kind of armed organization to which they belong. Ultimately it provides a framework of analysis for humanitarian actors to help them identify the approach best suited to a group’s particular structure and socialization mechanisms, with the aim of promoting restraint during armed conflict.
Citation
Terry, F. and McQuinn, B. (2018) The Roots of Restraint in War. ICRC