Other Treaties

While the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977 stand at the core of International Humanitarian Law, other conventions contain important rules that govern armed conflict. This section offers a non-exhaustive list of relevant international humanitarian law conventions, declarations and resolutions adopted prior to or after the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977.

Early Conventions pertaining to International Humanitarian Law

1. 1864 Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field
   
   
2. 1868 Declaration of St. Petersburg (prohibiting the use of certain projectiles in wartime)
   
   
3. The Laws of War on Land. Oxford, 9 September 1880
   
   
4. Final Act of the International Peace Conference. The Hague, 29 July 1899
   
   
5. Convention (II) with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its annex: Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 29 July 1899
   
   
6. Convention (III) for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva Convention of 22 August 1864. The Hague, 29 July 1899
   
   
7. Final Act of the Second Peace Conference. The Hague, 18 October 1907
   
   
8. Convention (III) relative to the Opening of Hostilities. The Hague, 18 October 1907
   
   
9. Convention (IV) respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its annex: Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 18 October 1907
   
   
10. Convention (V) respecting the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in Case of War on Land. The Hague, 18 October 1907
    
    
11. Convention (VIII) relative to the Laying of Automatic Submarine Contact Mines. The Hague, 18 October 1907
    
    
12. Convention (IX) concerning Bombardment by Naval Forces in Time of War. The Hague, 18 October 1907
    
    
13. Declaration (XIV) Prohibiting the Discharge of Projectiles and Explosives from Balloons. The Hague, 18 October 1907
    
    
14. Manual of the Laws of Naval War. Oxford, 9 August 1913
    
    
15. Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare. Geneva, 17 June 1925
    
    
16. Final Act of the Diplomatic Conference. Geneva, 27 July 1929
    
    
17. Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field. Geneva, 27 July 1929
    
    
18. Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 27 July 1929
    
    
19. Draft International Convention on the Condition and Protection of Civilians of enemy nationality who are on territory belonging to or occupied by a belligerent. Tokyo, 1934
    
    
20. Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments (Roerich Pact). Washington, 15 April 1935
    
    
21. Agreement for the Prosecution and Punishment of the Major War Criminals of the European Axis, and Charter of the International Military Tribunal. London, 8 August 1945
    

Current treaty law pertaining to international humanitarian law

1. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 9 December 1948
   
   
2. Final Act of the Diplomatic Conference of Geneva, 12 August 1949
   
   
3. Geneva Conventions

Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

4. Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague, 14 May 1954

5. Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague, 14 May 1954.
   
   
6. Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict The Hague, 26 March 1999

This Additional Protocol .

7. Human Rights in Armed Conflicts. Resolution XXIII adopted by the International Conference on Human Rights. Teheran, 12 May 1968

8. Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, 26 November 1968

9. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. Opened for Signature at London, Moscow and Washington, 10 April 1972

10. Convention on the prohibition of military or any hostile use of environmental modification techniques, 10 December 1976

11. Additional Protocols

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

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

12. 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. Geneva, 10 October 1980

• Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol I). Geneva, 10 October 1980
• Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II). Geneva, 10 October 1980
• Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III). Geneva, 10 October 1980
• Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV to the 1980 Convention), 13 October 1995
• Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War (Protocol V to the 1980 Convention), 28 November 2003 (will enter into force after 20 ratifications)

13. Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 25 May 2000

14. Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction. Paris, 13 January 1993 (CWC)

15. Statute of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, 25 May 1993

16. Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations committed in the territory of neighbouring States, between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994, 8 November 1994

17. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 18 September 1997

18. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 17 July 1998
    
    
19. Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War (Protocol V to the 1980 Convention), 28 November 2003

For a complete list of conventions, resolutions and declarations, please consult the ICRC treaties database.