Geneva Conventions

On August 12, 1949, representatives from multiple nations adopted four Geneva Conventions in Geneva following World War II. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the negotiations. These treaties built upon earlier humanitarian agreements from 1864 and established protections for wounded soldiers, prisoners of war, and civilians during armed conflicts. The four conventions address treatment of wounded armed forces on land and at sea, prisoners of war, and wartime civilians. All United Nations member states have ratified these agreements, making them universally binding international law governing conduct during armed conflicts.