Compendium of Standards, Good Practices and Recommendations Good Practices and Recommendations The relevance of human rights law for the armed forces is beyond doubt. While militaries are, in certain ways, unique institutions with special rules, this does not mean that they are not obliged to follow or that the rights of their personnel are not protected by the human rights obligations their states have committed to uphold. Certain exceptions may, however, be permissible given the special role of armed forces. The following good practices and recommendations can help to guide states in meeting their international human rights obligations: » Human rights should be considered as a force multiplier and a critical element of any institutional reform within the armed forces. » Efforts should be undertaken to strengthen knowledge of human rights standards and cultivate respect for human rights among service personnel. This will enable the armed forces to also meet the complex demands of contemporary operations and multi-national missions. » Practices and procedures should be established to ensure that service personnel can seek redress when their rights under international law are violated. » Members of the armed forces should be encouraged to regard themselves as “citizens in uniform”, rather than only as representatives of the state. 55