AbdulRehman Foundation

International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law of armed conflict or the law of war, comprises a body of international treaties and related instruments that seek to regulate the conduct of armed conflicts and protect the rights of those affected by them. The main IHL treaties and related instruments include:

1. Geneva Conventions of 1949: The four Geneva Conventions form the cornerstone of IHL and provide protection to wounded and sick soldiers on land and at sea, prisoners of war, and civilians during times of armed conflict. The four conventions are:

• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (First Convention).
• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea (Second Convention).
• Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (Third Convention).
• Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Convention).

1. Additional Protocols of 1977: These protocols were adopted to strengthen the protection of individuals in armed conflicts and extend the scope of IHL. There are two protocols:

• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II).

1. Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907: These conventions sought to codify the laws and customs of war and address issues such as the means and methods of warfare, protection of civilians, and the rights and obligations of neutral states. Some notable conventions include:

• Hague Convention (II) on Laws and Customs of War on Land.
• Hague Convention (IV) respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its Annex Regulations.

1. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Treaty): This treaty, adopted in 1997, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires the destruction of existing stockpiles.
2. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention): This treaty, adopted in 1993, bans the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and requires the destruction of existing stockpiles.
3. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention): This treaty, adopted in 1972, prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and use of biological weapons.

These are some of the main IHL treaties and related instruments. There are also other regional and thematic treaties that address specific aspects of IHL or provide additional protections in certain situations.