In order to bring to light the significance of the updated Commentary on the First Geneva Convention, several blogs are hosting a joint series focusing on particular GCI provisions. This blog series is co-hosted by Intercross, the blog of the ICRC in Washington, D.C., Opinio Juris, a forum on international law and relations, and Humanitarian Law & Policy.

All previous articles, publications and videos on the Updated Commentaries can be accessed via this page.

Last March, the ICRC released an updated Commentary on the First Geneva Convention of 1949 (GCI), the first installment of six new Commentaries aimed at bringing the interpretation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977 to the 21^st century. The updated Commentaries serve as an interpretive compass emerging from more than 60 years of application and interpretation of the Geneva Conventions.

The first episode was launched last summer and featured posts by Jean-Marie Henckaerts on Locating the Geneva Conventions Commentaries in the International Legal Landscape, Sean D. Murphy on The Role of the ICRC Commentaries in Understanding International Humanitarian Law and Kevin Jon Heller on First Thoughts from Academia on the Updated GCI Commentary. 

Today, we are launching the second episode, focusing on the arming of military medical personnel, units and transports. To what extent can military medical personnel, units and transports be armed? When permitted, can they be armed with weaponry heavier than the so-called “light” individual weapons? When would this constitute an “act harmful to the enemy”? Which implications does arming them have in terms of the entitlement to display the distinctive emblem of the Conventions?

To kick off the series, Intercross invited Heather Brandon, Advocacy Counsel of National Security for Human Rights First, to discuss restricting medical personnel, units, and transports to ‘light individual weapons.’

Schedule of posts:

• Restricting medical personnel, units, and transports to ‘light individual weapons’ – Heather Brandon, Advocacy Counsel of National Security for Human Rights First, February 16, 2017.

This page will be regularly updated with past and upcoming posts, along with an evolving publication calendar.

All previous articles, publications and videos on the Updated Commentaries can be accessed via this page.