Présentation - CCW Protocol III 1980

i n t r o d u c t i o n

Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III). Geneva, 10 October 1980.

General title

United Nations Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.

Forum of adoption

United Nations Conference on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.

In force

yes

Entry into force

02.12.1983

The need of additional conventions prohibiting or limiting the use of certain methods and means of warfare was emphasized in the resolutions of the International Red Cross Conference of 1965 and of the International Conference on Human Rights of 1968 as well as in Resolution 2444 (XXIII) of the United Nations General Assembly of 1968. At the conferences of government experts convened by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1971 and 1972 to prepare the protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions and at the Diplomatic Conference of 1974-1977 the opinion prevailed that an agreement on conventional weapons should be attempted, leaving aside weapons of mass destruction. Encouraged by the Diplomatic Conference, the ICRC convened two conferences of government experts on the use of certain conventional weapons which met at Lucerne in 1974 and at Lugano in 1976. The Diplomatic Conference, on 9 June 1977, adopted Resolution 22 (IV) which recommended that a conference of governments be convened not later that 1979 with a view to reaching agreements on prohibitions or restrictions of the use of specific conventional weapons. The U.N. General Assembly endorsed this recommendation and the Conference took place in Geneva from 10 to 28 September 1979 and from 15 September to 10 October 1980. The Convention and the three Protocols annexed to it were adopted by consensus on 10 October 1980 and opened for signature on 10 April 1981.

The first Review Conference of States Parties to this Convention convened in Vienna from 25.9.1995 to 13.10.1995 and held subsequent sessions in Geneva from 15-19.1.1996 and 22.4.1996 to 3.5.1996. The review Conference adopted on 13.10.1995 a new Protocol IV prohibiting the use and transfer of blinding laser weapons and on 3 May 1996 adopted an amended version of Protocol II on mines, booby traps and other devices.

Meetings of forum

1st session:10.09.1979 - 28.09.1979, Geneva #2nd session:15.09.1980 - 10.10.1980, Geneva

Dade of adoption

10.10.1980

Depositary

UNO

Number of articles

Authentic text

English; Arabic; Chinese; Spanish; French; Russian

Source

D.Schindler and J.Toman, The Laws of Armed Conflicts, Martinus Nihjoff Publisher, 1988, pp.190-191.

Keywords

MEANS OF COMBAT; PROHIBITION; INCENDIARY WEAPON; CONVENTIONAL WEAPON; METHOD OF COMBAT; WEAPON; USE OF WEAPONS; INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICT; PROTECTION; CIVILIAN; PROTECTION AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF HOSTILITIES