The four Geneva Conventions of 1949, the two Additional Protocols of 1977 and the Additional Protocol of 2005 form the core of international humanitarian law. They protect persons who are not, or no longer, participating in hostilities.

 

The 1949 Geneva Conventions

The First Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war.

 

These provide protection for the wounded and sick, but also for medical and religious personnel, medical units and medical transports. 

 

The Second Geneva Convention protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during war.

 

The Third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war.

 

The Fourth Geneva Convention protects civilians, including those in occupied territory.

 

 

The Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions
 

In the two decades that followed the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, the world witnessed an increase in the number of non-international armed conflicts and wars of national liberation. In response, two Protocols Additional to the four 1949 Geneva Conventions were adopted in 1977. They strengthen the protection of victims of international (Protocol I) and non-international (Protocol II) armed conflicts and place limits on the way wars are fought. Protocol II was the first-ever international treaty devoted exclusively to situations of non-international armed conflicts.

 

In 2005, a third Additional Protocol was adopted creating an additional emblem, the Red Crystal, which has the same international status as the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems.

The Geneva Conventions of  12 August 1949

Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949