Geneva Conventions
The first Geneva Convention was adopted in 1864, following Henry Dunant’s experience at Solferino, and dealt with wounded combatants.
Since then, the rules of the original Geneva Convention have been continuously revised, other categories of persons have come under the umbrella of their protection, and the protection of existing categories has been expanded. The Four Geneva Conventions in force today were adopted in 1949, and each Convention is designed to provide protection for a category of protected persons who do not (civilians, medical personnel) or no longer take part in the hostilities (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).
Although the great bulk of the Conventions are applicable only to international armed conflicts, Article 3 common to the four Conventions – which is often called a mini-convention - represented the first set of rules of international law applicable to conflicts of a non-international character.
The Geneva Conventions are supplemented by the 2 Additional Protocols of 1977, and the Third Protocol of 2005
The Geneva Conventions that have been adopted over time include:
- The 1864 Convention for the Amelioration of the Wounded in Armies in the Field;
- the 1906 Convention for the Amelioration of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field;
- the 1929 Convention for the Amelioration of the Conditions of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field;
- the 1949 Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Conditions of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces;
- the 1949 Convention (II) on Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked of Armed Forces at Sea
- the 1949 Convention (III) on Prisoners of War; and
- the 1949 Convention (IV) on Civilians.
See Treaties, Civilians, Medical personnel, Wounded and sick; Shipwrecked; Prisoners of war; Protected persons; Law of the Hague; Law of Geneva; Additional Protocols; International armed conflict; Non-international armed conflict;
DOCUMENTS
of 1864: Convention for the amelioration of the wounded in armies in the field
of 1906: Convention for the amelioration of the wounded and sick in armies in the field
of 1929: Convention for the amelioration of the conditions of the wounded and sick in armies in the field
of 1929: Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
of 1949: GCI
of 1949: GCII
of 1949: GCIII
of 1949: GCIV
CASES
Sudan, Report of the UN Commission of Enquiry in Darfur (A. Paras. 640-642)
Case Study, Armed Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region (1. A)
ICTR, The Prosecutor v. Akayesu (A. Paras. 492-523)
Switzerland, The Niyontese Case (B. III. B)
USA, Al-Shimari v. CACI Premier Technology, Inc.
USA, Guantánamo, End of "Active Hostilities" in Afghanistan
Spain, Universal Jurisdiction over Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions
Belgium, Prosecution of Terrorist Crimes in the context of Armed Conflict