Use and exploitation of natural resources during armed conflict. International law and the prohibition of pillage

The pillage of natural resources is an illicit practice that causes significant environmental damage and is used to finance the conflict. Furthermore, it may produce mass displacement of rural people. Contemporary international law recognises that the sustainable use of natural resources is a fundamental element for sustaining peace and developed principles and rules to guarantee adequate environmental protection. By referring to States, international organisations and judicial practice, the present research aims to analyse critical aspects that emerged in international law to understand how these problems can be overcome to ensure effective protection of the populations involved in the illicit practice of the pillage of natural resources. The work concludes by identifying the prohibition of pillage as a customary principle concerning the protection of resources during armed conflict and underlining the need for a systemic integration of norms from other areas of international law, particularly human rights.