The San Remo Manual is a contemporary restatement of the law applicable to armed conflicts at sea which has been drafted over a six-year period by an international group of specialists in international law, and naval experts convened by the International Institute of Humanitarian law. The accompanying explanation is written in the form of a commentary and indicates the sources used by the experts for each of the provisions of the Manual, and the discussion which led to their adoption. It is the first analysis of the law regulating armed conflict at sea which has been undertaken by an international group of experts since 1913. The work is based on treaty law of continuing validity and State practice, and takes into account developments in related areas of international law, in particular the effect of the United Nations Charter, the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, air law, and environmental law.
