Geneva Conventions: the four agreements and their additional protocols

01What do the Geneva Conventions regulate?

According to the ICRC, the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 protect people who are not directly taking part in hostilities and those who are out of action, for example through sickness, injury or captivity. They are to be respected and protected, and the suffering are to be cared for without discrimination. Protected are the wounded, the sick, the shipwrecked, prisoners of war and civilians.

The Conventions are supplemented by three additional protocols. Additional Protocols I and II were adopted on 8 June 1977, Additional Protocol III dates from 2005. International humanitarian law (IHL) also includes rules for the conduct of war, according to the Swiss FDFA for example the distinction between military targets and civilians, proportionality and precautionary measures.

This page describes the content of the Conventions and assesses neither states nor individual conflicts. Binding interpretation is a matter for the competent authority.

02Which four agreements of 1949 are there and what does each regulate?

According to the section titles of the ICRC summary, Convention I regulates the wounded and sick of the armed forces in the field and Convention II the wounded, sick and shipwrecked of the armed forces at sea. Convention III concerns the treatment of prisoners of war, Convention IV the protection of civilians in time of war. The table above names the protected group for each Convention.

In addition there are three additional protocols. Additional Protocol I supplements the rules for international conflicts, Additional Protocol II applies to certain non-international conflicts, Additional Protocol III allows an additional protective emblem, the red crystal. The comparison above sets the three side by side.

03Who does international humanitarian law protect?

According to the ICRC summary, the wounded, the sick and the shipwrecked must be respected and protected in all circumstances, and a distinction is permitted only on medical grounds. Medical personnel and facilities are also to be protected and can be marked by a red cross, red crescent or red crystal on a white background.

Members of the armed forces of a party to a conflict, except medical and religious personnel, are combatants. A captured combatant is a prisoner of war. For the civilian population the summary names relief actions where supplies are inadequate, subject to the consent of the states concerned, special respect for women and children and facilitating the reunification of families.

Prohibited without exception are, among other things, murder, torture, hostage-taking, collective punishment and cruel or degrading treatment. The full list is given in the further questions on international humanitarian law.

04When do the Conventions apply and when do the additional protocols?

According to the ICRC summary, the four Conventions apply to international armed conflicts, that is, armed force between two or more states. For non-international conflicts, only common Article 3 of the Conventions applies.

Additional Protocol I supplements the rules for international conflicts. Additional Protocol II applies to certain high-intensity non-international conflicts between state armed forces and organised armed groups that control territory.

According to the Swiss FDFA, international humanitarian law applies regardless of the legitimacy or justification of a conflict. Which wars and conflicts exist at present is collected on the page Current wars worldwide. The conflicts are not assessed here.

05How many states are parties?

According to the ICRC, all 196 states have ratified the Geneva Conventions. Additional Protocol I applies to 174 states, Additional Protocol II to 169 and Additional Protocol III to 79. The chart above shows the figures.

The figures come from an ICRC article of 20.07.2023 without a separate reference date and therefore count as of the ICRC statement of 20.07.2023.

06Who prosecutes violations of international humanitarian law?

According to the ICRC, the responsibility to prevent and punish violations lies primarily with the states. In the case of grave breaches, suspects are to be prosecuted or extradited; the ICRC page on the Conventions names the duty to prosecute regardless of nationality. The Swiss FDFA also describes this duty.

The UN Security Council can oblige states to comply or set up a court. As war crimes the FDFA names, for example, torture, rape, attacks on civilians, unlawful deportation, hostage-taking and the use of child soldiers. How UN peacekeeping operations work is described on the page Blue Helmets.