The Geneva Conventions were adopted on 12 August 1949 and are now universally ratified. They form the core of international humanitarian law (IHL), which protects people who are not, or are no longer, taking part in the fighting during an armed conflict.

As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Conventions, the ICRC Library has sought to gather in one place the relevant sources for researchers and practitioners working on the Geneva Conventions.

Text and commentaries of the Conventions

The ICRC’s database of IHL treaties includes the text of the four Geneva Conventions, information on state parties and ratification dates and the article-by-article commentaries – both the original commentary from the 1950s and the updated one for the First, Second and Third Conventions (The updated Commentary for the Fourth Geneva Convention will be published next year).

If you prefer to read the published version of the Conventions you will find the pdf file in the ICRC library’s catalog.

Translations in 45 languages

The ICRC Library holds a collection of translations of the Geneva Conventions in 45 languages, including many official translations published in government gazettes and available online.

Drafting history

This research guide helps you find your way through preparatory works starting in the 1930s, expert meeting reports and proceedings of the 1949 Diplomatic Conference. The entire collection is digitized and includes the precious “sténogrammes” which are verbatim records of discussions during the conference.

Scholarship

The following links are intended to provide an entry point to scholarship on the Conventions based on documents available in the ICRC library’s collections.

Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field

Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea

Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War

Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War

Common Article 1
Common Article 1 states that “The High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances”.

Common Article 3
Common Article 3 regulates non-international armed conflicts and is often referred to as a “Convention in miniature”.

Dissemination of the Conventions

This link combines dissemination materials and analysis of the work of the ICRC, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and States to disseminate the Conventions.

As an example, the illustrations below are excerpted from a multilingual brochure published by the ICRC in 1960 to illustrate the basic rules of the Geneva Conventions. They were then adapted by the Republic of Korea National Red Cross into training materials for Red Cross Youth.

Forbidden: Transport of troops, arms, munitions, etc. under cover of the Red Cross emblem.
Forbidden: to shoot down troops who surrender. They must be made prisoners of war.

 

Copyright: The Republic of Korea National Red Cross