War and the laws of war

War. War everywhere. Almost every day we hear about war. We see images of war on television, in newspapers, on social media. Maybe we'll hear about it on the radio.

Some of you may have experienced war yourself. Most people have an idea of what war is. Simply put, it is when different states, or groups of people within the same state or territory, use organized violence against each other. At first, organized violence is called armed conflict. If over 1000 people die as a result of the conflict in one year, it is called war.

However, the words armed conflict are often used instead of the word war, no matter how many die. There are different ways to describe what war is and there are different kinds of wars. When two states fight each other, it is usually called an international armed conflict, or war. If there are groups within a country that are at war with each other, it is called non-international armed conflict, or civil war. The United Nations has agreed on rules for how the states of the world should cooperate and act towards each other.

It's called International Law. According to International Law, it is illegal to start a war. Only defending against an attack is allowed. But conflicts, armed conflicts, and wars still arise. Why is that?

Most armed conflicts, or wars, today occur within a country, not between different countries. They are most common in poor, low-income countries. There may be conflicts between different ethnic or religious groups, or between people who have different political views. For example, a group that believes that the political leadership of a country is bad may try to force it out with weapons and violence. Another reason may be that a state wants access to precious natural resources.

Or they want an area that they consider themselves historically entitled to, but which is outside the country's current borders. Sometimes a country wants an area in another country that would make it easier to defend itself in the future - a strategically important area. People fight to reach a goal. A political, economic or strategic goal. How does war start then?

A country can sometimes feel threatened. Therefore, they attack first, to defend themselves. Sometimes, states make up that they are being attacked by another state. They want a reason to go to war. They can even detonate bombs in their own country, their own territory, to claim that they are only defending themselves, when in fact they are attacking.

It's called an operation under a false flag. War is chaotic and many people suffer and die, but there are rules that almost all countries have agreed on - the laws of war. The most important of these laws are called the Geneva Conventions, And were written in Geneva, Switzerland. They have been updated several times. The laws can be divided into two parts: 1.

Rules protecting non-combatants: Civilians, wounded and sick soldiers, and prisoners of war must not be attacked but must be protected and respected. 2. Rules for those who fight: This determines which weapons and combat methods may be used in war. Biological weapons that spread diseases or chemical weapons, such as toxic gases, must not be used. Are these laws followed in war?

Sometimes, but often they are broken. However, without the laws, even worse weapons would probably be used more often, resulting in more suffering. Those who break the laws of war are guilty of war crimes. It is becoming more common for war criminals to be prosecuted and punished for such acts after a war has ended. Even so, most crimes that happen in war: torture, rape, and the killing of civilians and combatants are never solved.

The suffering that war creates for everyone involved, risks deepening hatred and divisions between people. That is why it is necessary for all of us to do what we can so that armed conflicts and wars never break out.