Originally published on the CGS blog on August 12, 2009.
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. In 1949, four treaties and three additional protocols were established as World War II drew to a close, in an attempt to delineate the way in which international armed conflict could be waged. With fresh memories of the horrors of World War II, the Geneva Conventions were designed to define the rights of those captured in conflict, establish protections for the wounded, create civilian protections in war zones, and safeguard the honor of women during war time.
Despite these exhaustive guidelines, war crimes are being committed around the world and civilians are being needlessly endangered in conflict zones. We must keep up efforts to ensure international adherence to the Geneva Conventions, which serve as valuable tools of international humanitarian law.
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