Distinctive Signs and Emblems Under the Protection of International Humanitarian Law
nternational humanitarian law (IHL) is a branch of law applied during armed conflicts to limit the means and methods of warfare and regulate the protection of war victims. IHL provides internationally recognised distinctive signs (emblems) to identify protected objects and persons. During wartime, these are used to identify medical personnel of the armed forces, particularly hazardous objects, cultural property, civil defence objects, and more.
As part of its efforts to disseminate knowledge on international humanitarian law, the Ukrainian Red Cross demonstrates the distinctive signs outlined in IHL and explains their meanings.
Distinctive Signs under IHL and the Procedures for Their Use During Special Circumstances
In Ukraine, the use of distinctive emblems under IHL is governed by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 21 October 2022, No. 1199, “On Approval of the Procedure for Marking Buildings, Structures, and Vehicles Subject to International Humanitarian Law with Relevant Distinctive Signs (Emblems) During a Special Period”, along with other bylaws. This document provides for a number of distinctive signs.
The Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal emblems are visible signs of protection provided by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols for medical personnel, medical units, and ambulances. In particular, the Red Cross emblem is used by the medical service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during armed conflicts, as well as by civilian medical units and personnel, but only with the special permission of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal emblems are also used as distinctive signs to indicate that a person or object is affiliated with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. In particular, they are used by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (Ukrainian Red Cross).
An equilateral blue triangle on an orange background serves as the international distinctive sign of civil defence. It is used to identify buildings and structures, equipment, and vehicles intended to support the activities of civil protection authorities and forces, as well as civil protection equipment.
The shield, pointed at the bottom and divided into four sections of blue and white, is a distinctive sign of cultural property. This emblem is intended to identify cultural property and individuals entrusted with control functions. It may be used once to identify cultural property that is not under special protection, or three times to identify cultural property under special or enhanced protection.
A group of three bright orange circles of equal size, placed on the same axis, is an international distinctive sign for facilities, installations, and structures containing dangerous forces. Such facilities include nuclear power plants (NPPs), dams, and similar structures.
The abbreviation “SAR” (Search and Rescue) is a distinctive marking used to identify search and rescue units, including ships and aircraft. This emblem is applied to both sides or the superstructure of the vessel.
It should be noted that attacks on objects marked with such distinctive emblems are prohibited under international humanitarian law, unless they are used for military purposes or provide a military advantage to the enemy. At the same time, attacks on facilities containing dangerous forces (such as nuclear power plants, dams, etc.) are prohibited under any circumstances. Follow the Ukrainian Red Cross’s publications to receive the latest information first.