The Protection of Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) in Armed Conflict

The Syria Regional Desk at the Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre considers the widespread phenomenon of weaponizing housing, land, and property (HLP) in international and non-international armed conflict (IAC-NIAC) as an urgent priority that requires enhanced enforcement of international humanitarian law (IHL). In the context of the Centre’s commitment to improving civilian protection and human rights in armed conflict, this paper was developed to: 

·       Improve the understanding of the parties to armed conflicts and other stakeholders of the conceptual and legal frameworks governing HLP issues during and after armed conflict. 

·       Support these actors in improving adherence to IHL and IHRL with a specific focus on respecting HLP rights and avoiding the protracted negative impact of HLP violations. 

·       Provide stakeholders with legal and operational conclusions to inform their decision-making processes and operations, and to support protection advocacy efforts. 

*This publication is funded by ECHO.