Arbitrary Withholding of Consent to Humanitarian Relief in Non-international Armed Conflict

Vijitha Veerakatty, Dr.iur. (2021), University of Bern, is currently Deputy Head of the European Law and Schengen/Dublin Coordination Division at the Swiss Federal Office of Justice and Expert Consultant at Ximpulse Ltd. on international human rights protection, local governance, and peacebuilding.

List of Abbreviations


Introduction

1 Current Situation


2 Conditions for Providing Humanitarian Relief


3 Can Consent to Relief Operations Be Withheld?


4 Aims of This Book


5 Structure of the Book




Part 1

International Humanitarian Relief in Non-international Armed Conflicts

1 Actors Involved in Relief Actions

1 Affected State


2 Non-state Armed Groups


3 Humanitarian Actors


4 Non-belligerent States


5 Civilians




2 Legal Framework

1 Overview


2 Relevant Laws and Principles




3 The Concept of Humanitarian Relief

1 Historical Perspective


2 Defining Humanitarian Relief


3 Implementation of International Humanitarian Relief


4 Dilemma: Principle of ‘Do No Harm’




4 Situation of Non-international Armed Conflicts

1 Definition


2 Distinction from Internal Tensions and Disturbances


3 Distinction from International Armed Conflict




Part 2

Rights and Duties of the Actors Involved in Relief Actions

5 Introduction


6 Rights and Duties of the Affected State

1 State’s Sovereignty as a Core Principle


2 Rights and Duties




7 Rights and Duties of Non-state Armed Groups

1 Bound to International Law


2 Rights and Duties




8 Rights and Duties of Humanitarian Actors

1 Adherence to Humanitarian Principles


2 Rights and Duties




9 Rights and Duties of Non-belligerent States

1 Cooperation with Humanitarian Actors


2 Rights and Duties




10 Rights and Duties of Civilians

1 Right on Respect and Protection


2 A Right to Receive Humanitarian Relief?


3 Duty Not to Take Part in Hostilities and Impede Relief Actions




Part 3

Arbitrary Withholding of Consent to Relief Operations

11 Characteristics of Withholding of Consent

1 Withholding and Withdrawing of Consent


2 Forms of Expression




12 Prohibition of Arbitrary Withholding of Consent

1 Legal Basis


2 Assessing Arbitrariness




13 Violation of Other International Obligations

1 Relevant Breaches of Law


2 Breaches of ihl Obligations


3 Breaches of ihrl Obligations


4 Breaches under International Criminal Law




Part 4

Legal Consequences of Arbitrary Withholding of Consent

14 Introduction


15 Accountability of the Affected State

1 State Responsibility


2 Responsibility for Violation of Human Rights Treaties


3 Individual Responsibility under Criminal Law




16 Accountability of Non-state Armed Groups

1 No Direct Responsibility of the Armed Group


2 Determination of Breaches within Monitoring Mechanisms


3 Individual Responsibility of the Members of the Armed Group




17 Remedies for Humanitarian Actors

1 Possibility of Providing Relief without Consent?


2 Bilateral Dialogues and Public Pronouncement




18 Remedies for Non-belligerent States

1 Obligation and Entitlement to Act


2 Non-judicial Mechanisms


3 Judicial Mechanisms




19 Remedies for Civilians

1 Human Rights Complaint Procedures


2 Claims Commissions


3 Rights as Victims before the icc




Part 5

Legal Gaps and Required Developments

20 Introduction


21 Currently Existing Gaps in the Law

1 Law Governing Humanitarian Relief


2 Legal Status of Non-state Armed Groups


3 Legal Remedies




22 Developments Needed

1 Enhancing Knowledge of the Applicable Law


2 Further Legal Regulations


3 Independent International Body for Assessing Arbitrariness


4 Integration of Non-state Armed Groups


5 New Enforcement Mechanism




 Conclusion

1 Summary


2 Closing Remarks




Reports, Resolutions and Statements


Table of Cases


Bibliography


Index