Chronological development of international humanitarian law

The following timeline provides an overview of the chronological development of international humanitarian law . As of November 2015, it contains data on important agreements and other documents of international humanitarian law , their entry into force and the number of contracting states, as well as information on the establishment of organizations and Institutions that are or were important in the creation and implementation of international humanitarian law.

Definition and classification

International humanitarian law encompasses all provisions of international law , the aim of which is to protect people, buildings and the natural environment from the effects of hostilities during a war or armed conflict . It is part of the international law of war and is mainly defined by intergovernmental agreements . In addition, international humanitarian law also includes principles of customary law which have gained general validity and acceptance through years of use or as established norms of honorable soldier behavior.

Due to its historical, substantive and institutional development, international humanitarian law can be divided into four basic areas of law, which are marked in the timeline of the respective agreements by different symbols:

• - Provisions for the treatment of non-combatants (wounded soldiers, prisoners of war , civilians )
• - Determinations of permissible means and methods of warfare
• - Specifications for the protection of cultural property and other facilities
• - Provisions on the prosecution of war crimes

Historical overview

The four areas mentioned can be assigned to different historical events and epochs. The establishment of principles for the treatment of non-combatants was at the beginning of the emergence of international humanitarian law and goes back to the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863 and the conclusion of the first Geneva Convention a year later. The stipulations on permissible means and methods of warfare have their starting point in the Petersburg Declaration of 1868 and, to a much greater extent, in the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. From a historical point of view, these two areas of international humanitarian law are based on the places at which the treaty was signed Partly referred to as "Geneva Law" or "Hague Law".

After the Second World War and under the leadership of the United Nations (UN) founded in 1945, the area of ​​cultural property protection in armed conflicts developed into an independent aspect of international humanitarian law. In addition, the UN took on an increasingly stronger role in the further development of the already existing areas. The most recent area is the criminal prosecution of war crimes. Even if the first agreements in this area were also concluded after the Second World War, an effective expansion in the form of independent bodies under international law did not begin until after 1990 and thus the end of the Cold War .

Timeline

The emblem of the International Committee of the Red Cross

February 9, 1863 - Geneva

• Founding of the International Committee of Aid Societies for the Care of Wounded
  Since 1876: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

August 22, 1864 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference from August 8 to August 22, 1864)

• Conclusion of the first Geneva Convention (10 articles)
  “Relating to the Alleviation of the Lot of Military Persons Wounded in the Field Service”
  In force from June 22, 1865 to 1966; 57 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

October 20, 1868 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference of October 20, 1868)

• Adoption of the amendments to the first Geneva Convention (15 articles)
  "Relief of the lot of the wounded in war"
  Never entered into force due to lack of ratification; a contracting party (USA 1882) Legal areas
  respected partly on a voluntary basis by other states
  :

December 11, 1868 - Saint Petersburg (International Military Commission)

• Adoption of the St. Petersburg Declaration
  “Prohibiting HE shells weighing less than 400 grams”
  In force since December 11, 1868; 20 contracting parties
  legal areas:

August 27, 1874 - Brussels (Conference from July 27 to August 27, 1874)

• Adoption of the Brussels Declaration (56 articles)
  "On the Laws and Customs of War" Legal areas
  never entered into force due to lack of ratification
  :

September 9, 1880 - Oxford (Sixth session of the Institut de Droit international )

• Adoption of the " Manuel des lois de la guerre sur terre " ("The rules of land war") (86 articles)
  Intended as a template for national laws
  Legal areas:

The Peace Palace in The Hague

July 29, 1899 - The Hague (First International Peace Conference from May 18 to July 29, 1899)

• Conclusion of the Hague Convention II (5 articles)
  “on the laws and customs of land warfare”
  with the Hague Land Warfare Regulations (60 articles) as an annex
  In force since September 4, 1900; 51 Contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Conclusion of Hague Convention III (14 articles)
  "on the application of the principles of the Geneva Convention of August 22, 1864 to naval warfare"
  In force from September 4, 1900 to 1910; 49 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

July 6, 1906 - Geneva (Conference on the revision of the Geneva Convention of 1864 from June 11 to July 6, 1906)

• Revision of the first Geneva Convention (33 articles)
  “To improve the lot of the wounded and sick in the armed forces in the field”
  In force from August 9, 1907 to 1970; 52 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

October 18, 1907 - The Hague (Second International Peace Conference from June 15 to October 18, 1907)

• Conclusion of Hague Convention IV (9 articles)
  “Regarding the Laws and Customs of Land War”
  with Hague Land Warfare Regulations (56 articles) as an annex
  In force since January 26, 1910; 38 Contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Conclusion of Hague Convention X (28 articles)
  “on the application of the principles of the Geneva Convention to naval warfare”
  In force from January 26, 1910 to 1949; 33 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

9 August 1913 - Oxford (27th session of the Institut de Droit international )

• Adoption of the " Manuel des lois de la guerre maritime " ("The rules of naval warfare") (116 articles and an additional article)
  Intended as a template for national laws
  Legal areas:

June 17, 1925 - Geneva (Conference on the Supervision of the International Arms Trade from May 4 to June 17, 1925)

• Adoption of the Geneva Protocol
  “on the prohibition of the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or similar gases and of bacteriological agents in war”
  In force since February 8, 1928; 137 contracting parties
  legal areas:

July 27, 1929 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference from July 1 to July 27, 1929)

• Renewed revision of the first Geneva Convention (39 articles)
  “To improve the lot of the wounded and sick in the armed forces”
  In force from June 19, 1931 to 1950; 60 contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Conclusion of the second Geneva Convention (97 articles)
  “On the Treatment of Prisoners of War”
  In force from June 19, 1931 to 1950; 53 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

April 15, 1935 - Washington

• Signing of the Roerich Pact (eight articles and an appendix)
  “on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments”
  In force since August 26, 1935; ten contracting parties
  legal areas:

The United Nations flag

June 26, 1945 - San Francisco

• Signing of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and thus founding of the UN
  In force since October 24, 1945; 193 member countries

August 8, 1945 - London ( London Conference, June 26 to August 8, 1945)

• Adoption of the statute of the International Military Tribunal as part of the London Four Power Agreement
  "on the prosecution and punishment of the main war criminals of the European axis"
  .

December 9, 1948 - New York (United Nations General Assembly)

• Conclusion of the Genocide Convention (19 articles)
  “on the prevention and punishment of genocide”
  In force since January 12, 1951; 146 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

August 12, 1949 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference from April 21 to August 12, 1949)

• New version of the first Geneva Convention as Geneva Convention I (64 articles and 13 additional articles)
  “to improve the lot of the wounded and sick of the armed forces in the field”
  In force since October 21, 1950; 196 contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Conclusion of the Geneva Convention II (63 articles)
  “For the improvement of the lot of the wounded, sick and shipwrecked of the armed forces at sea”
  In force since October 21, 1950; 196 contracting parties
  legal areas:
• New version of the second Geneva Convention as Geneva Convention III (143 articles and 23 additional articles)
  “on the treatment of prisoners of war”
  In force since October 21, 1950; 196 contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Conclusion of Geneva Convention IV (159 articles and 21 amendments)
  “on the protection of civilians in times of war”
  In force since October 21, 1950; 196 contracting parties
  legal areas:

The symbol of the Hague Convention of 1954 for cultural property under special protection

May 14, 1954 - The Hague (Hague Conference from April 21 to May 14, 1954)

• Conclusion of the Hague Convention (40 articles and 21 additional articles)
  “for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict”
  In force since August 7, 1956; 126 Contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Adoption of the first protocol to the Hague Convention of May 14, 1954 (15 articles)
  “for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict”
  In force since August 7, 1956; 103 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

Nov. 26, 1968 - New York (United Nations General Assembly)

• Conclusion of the Convention (11 articles)
  “on the inapplicability of the statute of limitations to war crimes and crimes against humanity”
  In force since November 11, 1970; 55 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

Dec. 16, 1971 - New York (United Nations General Assembly)

• Conclusion of the Biological Weapons Convention (15 articles)
  "on the prohibition of the development, manufacture and storage of bacteriological (biological) weapons and toxin weapons and on the destruction of such weapons"
  In force since March 26, 1975; 173 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

Dec. 10, 1976 - New York (United Nations General Assembly)

• Conclusion of the ENMOD convention (10 articles)
  “on the prohibition of the military or any other hostile use of environmentally-changing technologies”
  In force since October 5, 1978; 77 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

June 8, 1977 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference from February 20, 1974 to June 10, 1977)

• Adoption of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 (102 articles and 17 additional articles)
  “on the protection of the victims of international armed conflict”
  In force since December 7, 1978; 174 Contracting parties
  legal areas:
• Adoption of Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 (28 articles)
  “on the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts”
  In force since December 7, 1978; 168 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

October 10, 1980 - Geneva (United Nations Conference 1979/1980)

• Conclusion of the Convention (11 Articles)
  “ on the Prohibition or Restriction of the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which Cause Excessive Suffering or
  May Have Indiscriminate Effects ” In force since December 2, 1983; 121 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

July 8, 1992 (meeting of the International Humanitarian Commission)

• Adoption of rules for the work of the commission and thus the establishment of the International Humanitarian Investigation Commission as a permanent body in accordance with Article 90 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949.
  So far, recognition of the commission by 76 states

January 13, 1993 - Paris (Disarmament Conference and General Assembly of the United Nations)

• Conclusion of the Chemical Weapons Convention (24 articles)
  "on the prohibition of the development, manufacture, storage and use of chemical weapons and on the destruction of such weapons"
  In force since April 29, 1997; 192 contracting parties
  legal areas:

September 18, 1997 - Oslo (Diplomatic Conference September 1 to 18, 1997)

• Conclusion of the Ottawa Convention (22 articles)
  "on the prohibition of the use, storage, manufacture and transfer of anti-personnel mines and their destruction"
  In force since March 1, 1999; 162 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

The emblem of the International Criminal Court

July 17, 1998 - Rome (Diplomatic Conference from July 15 to July 17, 1998)

• Adoption of the Rome Statute (128 articles) “for the International Criminal Court”
  In force since July 1, 2002; 123 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

March 26, 1999 - The Hague (Diplomatic Conference from March 15 to March 26, 1999)

• Adoption of the second protocol to the Hague Convention of May 14, 1954 (47 articles)
  “For the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict”
  In force since March 9, 2004; 68 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

March 11, 2003 - The Hague

• Swearing in of the first 18 judges of the International Criminal Court

December 8, 2005 - Geneva (Diplomatic Conference from December 5 to 7, 2005)

• Adoption of Additional Protocol III to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 (17 articles and 2 additional articles)
  “on the adoption of an additional protective symbol”
  In force since January 14, 2007; 72 contracting parties
  legal areas:

May 30, 2008 - Dublin (Diplomatic Conference May 18-30, 2008)

• Adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (23 Articles)
  In force since August 1, 2010; 98 Contracting parties
  legal areas:

literature

• Dietrich Schindler , Jiří Toman (Eds.): The Laws of Armed Conflicts: A Collection of Conventions, Resolutions, and Other Documents. Third revised edition. Sijthoff & Noordhoff International Publishers, Alphen aan den Rijn 1988, ISBN 9-02-473306-5

Web links

• International Humanitarian Law - Treaties & Documents Database of the International Committee of the Red Cross (Eng.)