Some Thoughts on the Relationship Between International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law: A Plea for Mutual Respect and a Common-Sense Approach

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I wrote this piece as a result of my increasing frustration about how the two bodies of law ( IHL and IHRL) are often seen as being in competition with each other. I have experienced this at numerous conferences where both IHL and IHRL lawyers are present and often seem to be somewhat at loggerheads, rather than exploring how to apply each of these two bodies of law in a rational and complementary way. This piece is my personal view on the relationship between them and intended as a contribution towards fostering a bit more mutual understanding and cooperation between the two legal "communities".

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