Meron explains these thresholds as they relate to international armed conflict, non international armed conflict and lower intensity violence not rising to the level of non international armed conflict

5. The special case of non international armed conflict

41. The rules protecting the victims of non international armed conflict are less well developed than those governing international armed conflict.

Different rules apply depending on whether the situation is an international armed conflict, a high intensity non international conflict or an armed conflict not of an international character.

(e) Protection of the environment in times of non international armed conflict possible application of the rules applicable in times of international armed conflict.

At the same time there is a consensus in the doctrine on the basic character of the distinction between international armed conflict and non international armed conflict.

11. Protection of the environment in times of non international armed conflict content and scope of applicable law difference with the provisions applicable in international armed conflict

The non application of the whole of international humanitarian law to non international armed conflict is particularly problematic because the Protocol dealing specifically with non international armed conflict, Protocol II, requires a very high threshold to trigger its applicability and has seldom been applied.

(b) To prevent and respond to abuses against women in situations of international or non international armed conflict

Draft article 2 put forward a wider definition of armed conflict to include both international and non international conflicts.

The Special Rapporteur observed that while a majority in the Commission had favoured including non international armed conflict within the definition of armed conflict , many did not favour attempting to redefine the concept of armed conflict in the draft articles.

He expressed a preference for restricting, rather than extending, the situations in which armed conflict could interrupt the treaty relations among States and, therefore, favoured excluding non international armed conflict.

Moreover, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has strongly questioned the distinction between international and non international armed conflict

International watercourses and installations in time of armed conflict

Draft article 2 should contain a simplified working definition of the term armed conflict which did not, at the current stage, draw a distinction between international and non international armed conflicts.

Armed conflict

As a matter of principle, the application of international humanitarian law to an international or non international armed conflict does not exclude the application of human rights law.

It was further stated that no distinction should be made between operations involving international armed conflict and operations involving internal armed conflict.

Thus, the characterization of the armed conflict as a non international one can have the effect of rendering all humanitarian law inapplicable.

6. Parties to a non international armed conflict are encouraged to apply the same rules that protect the natural environment as those that prevail in international armed conflict and, accordingly, States are urged to incorporate such rules in their military manuals and instructions in a way that does not discriminate between different forms of armed conflict.

55. Other international or non governmental organizations involved in emergency work during armed conflict may also help prevent damage or take remedial action.

Although the debate continues whether human rights treaties apply to armed conflict, it is well established that non derogable provisions of human rights treaties apply during armed conflict.

Ms. Hampson noted that, in situations of armed conflict, international humanitarian law had more detail regarding issues of detention whereas in non conflict situations human rights law had more specificity.

IV. Armed conflict

That principle would apply even in non international armed conflicts.

These two provisions are applicable in the event of non international armed conflict, their scope and content being very similar to those of articles 52, 54 and 56 of Protocol I, applicable in international armed conflicts.

In draft article 2, paragraph (b), the definition of armed conflict referred simply to a conflict rather than an international conflict .

Although the debate continues as to whether human rights treaties apply to armed conflict, it is well established that non derogable provisions of human rights treaties apply during armed conflict.

(i) It is difficult to contemplate that acts prohibited in international armed conflicts might be permitted in non international armed conflicts

Children in armed conflict

The internal armed conflict

The internal armed conflict

Prevention of armed conflict

Violence in armed conflict

Children and armed conflict

Children and armed conflict

Children and armed conflict.

Prevention of armed conflict

Prevention of armed conflict

Women and Armed Conflict

Prevention of armed conflict.

Prevention of armed conflict'

Prevention of armed conflict

Subprogramme 4.2. Armed conflict

Without official declarations from courts or political departments, it is extremely difficult to separate non performance of a treaty during armed conflict including potentially justifiable non performance from an actual legal effect of armed conflict on the treaty itself.