Rules of engagement

Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as provocative, may be applied.

Created for the IIHL by Commander Alan Cole, Major Phillip Drew, Captain Rob McLaughlin and Professor Dennis Mandsager, the San Remo ROE Handbook has been translated from its English original into French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Hungarian, Russian, Bosnian, and Thai and several other languages.

[4] Several countries, such as the UK, have used the San Remo Manual as a model for creating their own ROE systems.

[5] The International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy conducts rules of engagement training course at least once per year, usually in September.

Similar training by the San Remo ROE drafting team is conducted for the United Nations,[6] staff colleges and other organizations as requested.