Présentation - Additional Protocol I 1977

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

Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977.

General title

Diplomatic Conference of Geneva of 1974-1977.

Forum of adoption

Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law applicable in Armed Conflicts

In force

yes

Entry into force

07.12.1978

The present Protocol brings mainly the following innovations:

Article 1(4) provides that armed conflicts in which peoples are fighting against colonial domination, alien occupation or racist regimes are to be considered international conflicts.

Part II (Articles 8-34) develops the rules of the First and the Second Geneva Conventions on wounded, sick and shipwrecked. It extends the protection of the Conventions to civilian medical personnel, equipment and supplies and to civilian units and transports and contains detailed provisions on medical transportation.

Part III and several chapters of Part IV (Articles 35-60) deal with the conduct of hostilities, i.e. questions which hitherto were regulated by the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and by customary international law. Their reaffirmation and development is important in view of the age of the Hague Conventions and of the new States which had no part in their elaboration. Article 43 and 44 give a new definition of armed forces and combatants. Among the most important Articles are those on the protection of the civilian population against the effects of hostilities. They contain a definition of military objectives and prohibitions of attack on civilian persons and objects. Further Articles (61-79) deal with the protection of civil defence organizations, relief actions and the treatment of persons in the power of a party to a conflict.

Part V (Articles 80-91) brings some new elements to the problem of the execution of the Conventions and the Protocol.

Meetings of forum

1st session:20.02.1974 - 29.03.1974, Geneva #2nd session:03.02.1975 - 18.04.1975, Geneva #3rd session:21.04.1976 - 11.06.1976, Geneva #4th session:17.03.1977 - 10.06.1977, Geneva

Dade of adoption

08.06.1977

Depositary

Switzerland

Number of articles

102 + 2 annexes

Authentic text

English; Arabic; Chinese; Spanish; French; Russian

Source

Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 1977, pp.3-87.

Keywords

PROTECTION; WAR VICTIM; WOUNDED; SICK; SHIPWRECK; MEDICAL PERSONNEL; MEDICAL UNIT; MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION; METHOD OF COMBAT; MEANS OF COMBAT; COMBATANT; PRISONER OF WAR; CIVILIAN; CONDUCT OF THE HOSTILITIES; ARMED FORCES; ARMED FORCES AT SEA; WAR ON LAND; NAVAL WARFARE; AIR WARFARE; SIGN; DISTINCTIVE SIGNAL; MARKING; INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICT; PROTECTED OBJECT; CIVIL DEFENCE; ASSISTANCE; NEUTRAL STATE; USE OF WEAPONS; WOMAN; CHILD; JOURNALIST; PROTECTION AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF HOSTILITIES; TREATMENT