International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Puneet Pathak

International Humanitarian and Refugee Law gives an overview of the history, nature, sources and principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the first part of the book. It explains the development of the protection, status and rights of refugees under international and regional treaties and conventions in the second and final part.

Under International Humanitarian Law, the book covers various protections given under the Geneva Conventions, such as the protection of wounded soldiers in the field and in the sea and the protection of prisoners of war. The other topics covered include protection of civilians under IHL who have remained primary victims of violations committed by both State and non-State armed groups; Conventions relating to the prohibition of certain types of weapons; application of IHL in non-international armed conflict; the emergence of individual criminal responsibility for war crimes; and the role of the Red Cross.

Under Refugee Law the discussion relating to solutions for the refugee crisis including voluntary repatriation, local integration, resettlement and safety zones is covered. It also covers the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the protection of refugees. There is also a discussion on the national framework for the implementation of IHL and the protection of refugees, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 which was passed by Parliament.

This book will be useful for teachers and students of law, political science, sociology, human rights and other disciplines of humanities as well as for general reading.