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Fourth Geneva Convention

Official Name

Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War

Signatories

The following countries signed the Convention:

Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The following countries recognise the Convention:

Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Dominica, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Dates

The Fourth Geneva Convention was signed after 12 August 1949 and the latest nation to recognise the convention is Montenegro on 2 August 2006. It entered into force on 21 October 1950.

Languages

The Fourth Geneva Convention was written in English, French, Spanish and Russian

The Fourth Geneva Convention covers the rights of civilians during war times when the country is under foreign control.

Key Points of the Treaty

Any persons that are not participating in combat, including members of the armed forces that have surrendered or succumbed to illness or injury, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or political alignment must be treated humanely. The occupying force must not encourage or participate in murder or torture, hostage taking, or carrying out judgements leading to executions under a court that does not meet regularly or is considered credible. All sick and injured people must be cared for.

The occupying force must provide accommodation and relief from the affects of war for civilians and injured and sick soldiers. All hospitals containing civilian victims are not to be attacked or targeted by any military force in any way. People working in these hospitals or vehicles, including aircraft, transporting injured or sick shall be protected from attack as well.

All children who are under the age of 15 must be cared for if they are separated from their parents or become orphaned. All women are protected against rape and forced prostitution. Medical and scientific experiments of a cruel nature are forbidden. No person is allowed to be persecuted for an offence that they have not personally committed. It is the responsibility of the occupying country to provide adequate school facilities.

Pillaging and taking of hostages is prohibited. If any citizen wishes to leave the country at any time during a conflict, they may do so. No propaganda or pressure is to be directed at civilians or wounded individuals which will compel them to join the armed forces.

Every person must have adequate access to food and medical supplies from the occupying force. Ministers of religion must be allowed to give spiritual guidance to the population without intervention from the occupying force. The occupying force must provide aid to the civilians of the occupied nation if it is required.

The laws of the occupied nation still are the law, unless it is changed by the invading power and is seen to compromise security. Any new laws and punishments cannot be implemented till they have been publicised to the citizens in their own language. The death penalty must not be implemented on people under 18 years of age.

People holding power in the civilian world of the occupied country will have access to all areas where the citizens are being held or housed.

Resources Used:

"Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War." OHCHR Homepage. 02 Jan. 2009 <http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/92.htm>.

"International Humanitarian Law - State Parties / Signatories." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - Home. 03 Jan. 2009 <http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebSign?ReadForm&id=375&ps=P>.