Die Rolle nicht-internationaler Waffenstillstandsabkommen im humanitären Völkerrecht

This book introduces agreements concluded in the context of non-international armed conflicts into the debate on the significance and development of public international law, especially international humanitarian law. As the appropriateness of norms of international humanitarian law and their ability to govern the conduct of parties in the context of non-international armed conflicts are increasingly challenged, this book looks into agreements concluded between the parties in such conflicts – state and non-state actors – as an additional source of law and legitimacy. By studying agreements from conflict zones in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe and proceeding from a traditional or positivist notion of international law, the author provides a thorough analysis of their content and legal character. He comes to the conclusion that such agreements could and should be considered an instrument of public international law and explains the impact of this conclusion on the aforementioned debate.