Geneva Convention

Geneva Convention Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Chapter I : General Provisio   Art 1 - All parties to respect the Convention   Art 2 - Applicable in peace time and war.   Art 3 - To apply to all, without discrimination. No violent acts, hostagetaking, punishment without trial, execution, outrage of personal dignity. Must care for sick and wounded   Art 4 - Neutral power to equally observe   Art 5 - Protected persons are protected until their repatriation

  Art 6 - No special agreement to restrict the rights of sick and wounded, medical and religious personnel   Art 7 - Sick, wounded, medical and religious personnel cannot renounce their rights   Art 8 - Convention applies to Protecting Powers agreed by parties of the conflict   Art 9 - No obstacles to ICRC or other humanitarian organizations activities   Art 10 - Parties may entrust impartial humanitarian organizations to carry out humanitarian activities   Art 11 - In case of disagreement between Parties – Protecting Power to mediate to settle disagreement

Chapter II : Wounded and S   Art 12 - Members of the AF and other persons who are sick must be respected. Treatment to be based on medical priority   Art 13 - Convention applicable to wounded and sick – members of AF, volunteers, resistance movements, members of other AF, accompanying persons, crew members and resisting inhabitants of non-occupied territories.   Art 14 - Wounded and sick captured by the enemy considered as POW   Art 15 - Parties to quickly search wounded and sick, to protect from pillage and ill-treatment   Art 16 - Parties to record details of each wounded, sick or dead person of the adverse party   Art 17 - Burial / cremation of the dead, confirmation of death and grave registration   Art 18 - Appeal to the charity in the collection and care of the wounded and sick

Chapter III : Medical Units and Est

  Art 19 - No medical units to be attacked   Art 20 - Hospital ships not to be attacked from the land   Art 21 - Protection shall not cease unless humanitarian duties violated and warning given   Art 22 - Conditions depriving medical units protection by the Convention   Art 23 - The creation of hospital zones and localities

Chapter IV : Personnel   Art 24 - Medical and religious personnel to be protected in all circumstances   Art 25 - Members of the AF employed for medical duties to be respected and protected   Art 26 - Staff of the Red Cross or Volunteer Aid Societies placed under military laws to receive similar treatment   Art 27 - A recognized society of neutral country can lend assistance to a party to the conflict   Art 28 - Personnel designated in Art 24 and 26 who fall into the hands of the adverse party are not POWs

  Art 29 - Persons mentioned in Art shall be POW, to be employed on medical duties as needed   Art 30 - Persons subject to Art 28 shall be returned as soon as military requirements permits   Art 31 - Selection of persons to be returned shall not be subject to discrimination   Art 32 - Persons designated in Art 27 shall not be detained

Chapter V : Buildings and M Art 33 - Material of medical mobile units captured to be used for the care of wounded and sick only Art 34 - Resources of fixed medical establishments may not be diverted for other purpose. They shall not be destroyed

Chapter VI : Medical Transports   Art 35 - Transport of wounded and sick to be respected and protected   Art 36 - Medical aircraft flying under prescribed condition and properly marked are not to be attacked   Art 37 - Medical aircraft may fly over neutral Powers territory, subject to conditions

Chapter VII : The Distinctive Emblem   Art 38 - Red cross, red crescent and red lion and sun   Art 39 - Emblems to be displayed under direction of competent military authorities  Art 40 - Personnel designated in Art 24, 26 and 27 shall wear distinctive emblem armlet, have standard ID card   Art 41 - Personnel designated in Art 25 shall wear the armlet only when performing medical duties   Art 42 - Distinctive flag to be hoisted over medical units and establishments   Art 43 - Medical unit of neutral countries may fly flag of the belligerent country if the facility is used by the party   Art 44 - The emblems are to be used to indicate and protect medical establishments

Chapter VIII : Execution of the Convention   Art 45 - Parties to the conflict shall ensure conformity to the principles of the Convention   Art 46 - Reprisals against personnel, building and equipment protected under Convention are prohibited   Art 47 - Parties to undertake dissemination of the text of the Convention   Art 48 - Parties to communicate to Swiss Federal Council the laws they adopted to ensure the application of the

Chapter IX : Repression of Abu   Art 49 - Parties to enact legislation to provide penal sanction for breaches of the Convention   Art 50 - Acts constituting grave breaches   Art 51 - No party can absolve itself of liability   Art 52 - Inquiry to be instituted at the request of a party of the conflict for alleged violation of the Convention   Art 53 -The use of distinctive emblems other by those entitled is prohibited   Art 54 - Parties to enact legislation to prevent abuses referred to under Art 53

Final Provisions   Art 55 - The Convention is established in English and French. Both versions are authentic   Art 56 - The Convention is open to signature until 12 February 1950. Also open to parties of 1864, 1906 Conventions or Convention for the Relief of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field   Art 57 - Convention to be ratified as soon as possible   Art 58 - Convention to come into force six months after two instruments of ratification deposited. Six months after ratification deposit by parties

  Art 59 - The Convention replaces the 1864 and 1929 Conventions   Art 60 - It is opened to any power who has not signed to accede to the Convention   Art 61 - Accession to be notified to the Swiss Federal Council   Art 62 - Situation in Art 2 and 3 shall give immediate effect to ratifications   Art 63 - Parties are at liberty to denounce the Convention   Art 64 - The Swiss Federal Council shall register the Convention to the Secretariat of the UN

Annex I : Draft Agreement Rel

  Art 1 – Hospital zones to be strictly observed   Art 2 – No person within hospital zone are to be connected with military operations   Art 3 – The establishing Power to ensure access prohibited to persons who have no right of residence   Art 4 – The zone shall fulfil the prescribed conditions   Art 5 – The zone shall be subject to the prescribed obligations   Art 6 – The zone shall be marked by red cross, red crescent or red lion and sun   Art 7 – The Power shall communicate the list of hospital zone governed by them

  Art 8 – Power recognizing hospital zones instituted by adverse party entitled to demand control of the zone by Special Commissioner for purpose of verification   Art 9 – Special Commissioner shall draw the attention of governing power of any violation. Also shall notify power recognizing the zone   Art 10 – Power establishing the zone and power recognizing the zone shall nominate the members of the Special Commission   Art 11 – Hospital zones shall not be subjected to attacks   Art 12 – In the event of occupation it shall continue to function and utilized as such Art 13 – The agreement also applies to zone utilized for similar purposes