Taking care to protect the environment against damage: A meaningless obligation?

Little attention is paid to the obligation of 'care' in Article 55(1) of Additional Protocol I. Beyond a general principle of upholding environmental value in times of armed conflict, what is the scope and content of the obligation? If it is worthless, what makes it so? Since the care provision includes the same high threshold of harm found elsewhere in the environmental provisions, has this stumbling block now been removed by state practice? Rule 44 of the Customary Law Study might appear to suggest that this is so, or does it? Ultimately then, is the care obligation worth caring about? © Copyright International Committee of the Red Cross 2010

Human Cortex: Reflections of Mirror Neurons

SummaryClaims to have identified mirror neurons in human cortex have been controversial. A recent study has applied an fMRI adaptation protocol to the problem and come up with novel evidence for the existence of movement-selective mirror neurons in human cortex

Autonomy Regimes and International Law

The article discusses autonomy regimes and international law as of July 2011, focusing on the integration of separate entities into a single political structure, as well as the use of multilateral treaties as a means of creating an autonomy regime. Several autonomous regimes are examined, including the South Tyrol province in Italy

The Right to Humanitarian Assistance

There is a growing demand in world opinion for extensions of the right to humanitarian assistance. That right is presently limited to the indispensable needs of civilian populations in times of armed conflict