Demilitarized and neutralized territories in international humanitarian law
Abstract
The article is devoted to the peculiarities of demilitarized and neutralized territories in international humanitarian law. Attention is drawn to the fact that these institutions have deep historical roots, but the history of their formation and development is partially studied by the science of international law. The author of the article notes that by the beginning of the XXth century demilitarized and neutralized territories were considered as indistinguishable concepts, due to which there was a certain uncertainty of the features that distinguishes them. The experience of the First World War required to solve this problem, as a result, the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 provided for the formation of a demilitarized zone (Rhine). Its peculiarities were, firstly, a clear regulation of the content of measures implemented within the demilitarized zone, secondly, its certainty of the location, and thirdly, the existence of the mechanism to guarantee such a regime by the Parties to this agreement.
It is noted that international humanitarian law regulates the minimum requirements of the establishment and operation of special regimes for demilitarized and neutralized territories (zones) (in particular regulated by the Geneva Convention on the amelioration of wounded and sick in armed forces of August 12, 1949 and the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilian persons in time of war of August 12, 1949, as well as the Additional Protocol of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, concerning the protection of victims of international armed conflicts). At the level of bilateral and multilateral agreements, the conditions for the establishment of these zones can be clarified.
The author of the article defines demilitarized territories as the establishment on the basis of the agreement between states of the certain limited areas, which are prohibited to be used for military purposes and to carry out any kind of military activities on them. Demilitarization of the territory can be permanent (for example, the Eland Islands, the Suez Canal), or temporary as a means of eliminating the effects of armed conflict in the war zone (for example, the demilitarization of Srebrenica). It is noted that neutralized territories are established by agreement between the states certain space restrictions, the purpose of which is to protect persons from the effects of war (wounded and sick combatants, non-combatants, as well as personnel responsible for the organization and management of these zones and areas). Attention is drawn to the fact that in international humanitarian law, the regimes of these territories (zones) are limited in time: neutralized zones can be created at the beginning or during an armed conflict; demilitarized zones established in peacetime (then it will be preventive), war, post-war period (will be restorative). Finally, the author formulates a conclusion on the main features of demilitarized and neutralized zones in international humanitarian law.
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