GENEVA CONVENTIONS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)
Context: August marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions in 1949, commemorating a milestone in international humanitarian law.
Geneva Conventions
- About: It consist of four treaties with over 400 articles detailing the treatment of prisoners, protection for medical staff, humanitarian aid, and prohibition of torture, rape, and sexual violence.
- Formalization Date: The Conventions were formalized in 1949 by the United Nations.
- Protocols: There are three additional protocols: the first two were formalized in 1977, and the third in 2005.
- Focus: The Conventions focus on the treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war, not on the use of conventional or biological and chemical weapons, which are covered by The Hague Conventions and the Geneva Protocol.
- Signatories and Ratification: The Geneva Conventions have been ratified by 196 states, including all UN member states.
- List of Conventions:
o The First Geneva Convention: Protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war, and applies to medical and religious personnel, medical units, and medical transports.
o The Second Geneva Convention: Protects wounded, sick, and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during war, replacing the Hague Convention of 1907 related to maritime warfare.
o The Third Geneva Convention: Applies to prisoners of war, establishing that they should be released and repatriated without delay after active hostilities cease.
o The Fourth Geneva Convention: Protects civilians, including those in occupied territories, and addresses the general protection of populations against certain consequences of war without covering the conduct of hostilities.
