60th Anniversary Of Geneva Conventions Marked

Wednesday 12 August marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 – four treaties that place limits on how war is waged and form the cornerstone of international humanitarian law (IHL).

IHL is one of the most powerful tools the international community has at its disposal to ensure that safety and dignity of people in times of war. It seeks to preserve a measure of humanity, with the guiding principle that even in war there are limits.

The First Geneva Convention relating to the care of wounded soldiers on the battlefield was adopted in 1864 and further conventions covering the protection of the wounded and shipwrecked at sea and prisoners of war were added in 1929. In 1949 the Conventions were revised and a fourth one dedicated to the protection of civilians was added.

Since 1949 the Geneva Conventions have been supplemented by three Additional Protocols. Additional Protocol I, strengthening the protection of victims of international armed conflicts and Additional Protocol II, doing the same for non-international armed conflict, were adopted in 1977, whilst Additional Protocol III introduced a third emblem in 2005.

The Geneva Conventions are treaties of a truly universal character, they have been ratified by 194 States including New Zealand, who did so in 1959. In conflict situations they protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who are no longer participating (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as the guardian of IHL, is convinced that the Conventions and IHL as a whole have stood up well to the test of time and remain very relevant today. The ICRC maintains that the Conventions, together with their Additional Protocols, continue to provide the best available framework for protecting civilians and people who are no longer fighting.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, New Zealand Red Cross is hosting a workshop in conjunction with the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University on Wednesday 12 August. The workshop titled War Law: A matter of life or death will bring together year 12 and 13 students from across Wellington to learn about the continued relevance of the Geneva Conventions.

ENDS