The Geneva Conventions are four treaties of international humanitarian law, together with their additional protocols, that set out core legal protections for the wounded, sick, shipwrecked, prisoners of war, and civilians in armed conflict. The 1949 conventions are the current standard reference version, superseding earlier agreements from 1864, 1906, and 1929.
Facts
Key ProvisionFour treaties concluded in Geneva in 1949, building on earlier versions dating to 1864, that set out the humanitarian rules of armed conflict: protection of the wounded and sick on land (First Convention) and at sea (Second), treatment of prisoners of war (Third), and protection of civilians in wartime (Fourth). A common Article 3 across all four extends baseline protections to non-international armed conflicts, and later Additional Protocols extended their coverage further. 1 Classification
Document Type Original Language Original Language Connections
Associated With
Violations of the Conventions' grave breach provisions are among the war crimes the Court, established decades later, has jurisdiction to prosecute.
Source The Geneva Conventions (ICRC)
Sources
1. The Geneva Conventions (ICRC)
International Committee of the Red CrossDocument type, description
The Geneva Conventions are four treaties of international humanitarian law, together with their additional protocols, that set out core legal protections for the wounded, sick, shipwrecked, prisoners of war, and civilians in armed conflict.
- Associated With: International Criminal Court
View the Source 2. International Committee of the Red Cross: The Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949
International Committee of the Red CrossFinal Provisions, LanguagesQuote, Final Provisions, Languages
The present Convention is established in English and in French. Both texts are equally authentic.
Wikidata: Geneva Conventions
Wikidata Q133536, class allow-list match, case-insensitive label variant (w-bbfill-smallsix2-0926/resolve_ci.ps1)View the Source Geneva Conventions (Wikipedia)
In Group: Treaties and Agreements of 1946 to 1989, Lead paragraphQuote, In Group: Treaties and Agreements of 1946 to 1989, Lead paragraph
The Geneva Conventions are a series of four international treaties (1949) and their three additional protocols that form the core of international humanitarian law.
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