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What it carries

Built around the rules

• Combat and targetingDo not bomb indiscriminately, and do not target civilian property or public buildings.
• Conduct and detentionTreat all people under your control humanely, do not torture detainees, and do not execute prisoners.
• Civilian protectionAllow humanitarian access, and respect the red cross and red crescent emblem.

See the full list of 15 key rules for fighters.

Armed conflict does not remove every restriction. International humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions set limits on how wars may be fought, protecting civilians, wounded and dead persons, medical and humanitarian personnel, and civilian property from indiscriminate attack, hostage-taking, executions, rape, looting, and other prohibited violence. The Fighter Not Killer campaign by Geneva Call carries these rules to fighters, armed groups, and their commanders so that military advantage is never treated as a justification for unlawful methods of warfare. Understanding the rules helps parties to a conflict distinguish what is permitted from what is forbidden.

The Fighter Not Killer app was designed for conflict zones where connectivity is unreliable, so the essential rules of war remain available offline and in the languages fighters and affected communities actually use. The material draws on the key provisions of the Geneva Conventions and is organised around practical scenarios and topics such as targeting civilians, schools and hospitals, recruiting, using human shields, engaging in hostilities, and caring for the wounded and dead. Carrying the rules in your pocket makes it easier for armed fighters and their commanders to comply with the limits of international humanitarian law.