Geneva Convention

What Does the Geneva Convention Actually Say about Prisoners of War?

• "Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated."
• "Prisoners of war are entitled in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honor."
• "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever."

--Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949)

Where Did This Geneva Convention Come From?

Conventions concerning warfare and prisoners of war are as old as war itself. But today's Geneva Conventions are the direct descendents of the first Geneva Convention of August 22, 1864. And that convention, on fair treatment for wounded soldiers, was the brainchild of Swiss humanitarian Jean Henri Dunant.

In 1859, Dunant found himself in northern Italy, in pursuit of an audience with the French Emperor Napoleon III. He was trying to secure water rights in Algeria that only the emperor could grant. But Napoleon III was in the field with his armies, fighting the Austrians. Determined to get an audience anyway, Dunant made his way to the emperor's headquarters, near the Italian town of Solferino.

He arrived just in time to witness one of 19th-century Europe's bloodiest battles. Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I led an army of 120,000 against a combined French and Italian force of roughly equal size. The armies clashed almost by accident. The French expected to fight only the rear-guard Austrian units, while the Austrians expected only to face the French avaunt garde. Instead, nearly 30,000 men were killed or wounded.

Dunant witnessed the effects of the battle firsthand and was moved by the plight of the wounded soldiers, many of whom were left on the field to die. So he began to organize emergency care for them, soliciting help from local civilians.

Three years later, Dunant published A Memory of Solferino (1862), a little book that would change the world. In it, he described the battle and the efforts to care for the wounded that followed. He also proposed that volunteers in every nation should organize relief societies to provide care for those wounded in war, and that warring nations should recognize and respect the neutrality of these volunteers.

The next year, the Geneva Society for Public Welfare called for an international conference based on Dunant's proposals, and the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded was born (soon to become the International Committee of the Red Cross). Thanks to Dunant's investments of time and money, the conference drew delegates from 16 nations, who laid the groundwork for another conference in 1864. The result was an international treaty commonly called the first Geneva Convention.

Second, third, and fourth Geneva Conventions followed, culminating in the conventions of 1949. More than 150 nations signed on, agreeing to observe specific protections for wounded, shipwrecked, and imprisoned soldiers and still other protections for civilians.

After 1864, Dunant disappeared from public view and was reduced to poverty. In 1892, illness led him to a Swiss hospice, where he would live another 18 years. The world "rediscovered" him in 1895, and lavished prizes and awards upon him, including the first Nobel Prize for Peace. He paid some of the prize money to people who had cared for him over the years, and gave the rest to charity.

Geneva Conventions of 1949 and 1977

There are four Geneva Conventions, signed August 12, 1949, and the two additional Protocols of June 8, 1977. These treaties are all fully indexed on this site.

In addition, there are many other international treaties which govern the conduct of war or establish human rights standards (see more treaties) which are not indexed here.

Convention I

For the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Sets forth the protections for members of the armed forces who become wounded or sick.

Convention II

For the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Extends protections to wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of naval forces.

Convention III

Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Geneva. Lists the rights of prisoners of war.

Convention IV

Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Geneva. Deals with the protection of the civilian population in times of war.

Protocol I

Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts. Extends protections to victims of wars against racist regimes and wars of self determination.

Protocol II

Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Proection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. Extends protections to victims of internal conflicts in which an armed opposition controls enough territory to enable them to carry out sustained military operations.

From: KnowledgeNews