|
??1863 |
? |
| 1863 |
Resolutions of the Geneva International
Conference |
| 1864 |
Convention for the Amelioration
of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field |
| 1880 |
The Laws of War on Land |
| 1899 |
Final Act of the International Peace
Conference and associated Conventions with regard to war on
land, maritime warfare, and the use of certain gases and other
weapons, and other matters |
| 1906 |
Final Act of the Second Peace Conference and associated
Conventions regarding the opening of hostilities, the rights
and duties of neutral powers, bombardment by naval forces, and
other matters |
| 1929 |
Final Act of the Diplomatic Conference
and associated Convention on the Amelioration of the Condition
of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field, and Convention
on the Treatment of Prisoners of War |
| 1934 |
Draft International Convention on the Condition
and Protection of Civilians of enemy nationality who are on
territory belonging to or occupied by a belligerent |
|
??1945 |
? |
| 1945 |
Agreement for the Prosecution and
Punishment of the Major War Criminals of the European Axis,
and Charter of the International Military Tribunal |
| 1946 |
Call at an international congress
in France for the adoption of an international criminal code
prohibiting crimes against humanity, and the prompt establishment
of an International Criminal Court |
| 1948 |
Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide |
| 1948 |
UN General Assembly adopts Universal
declaration of Human Rights, detailing human rights and
fundamental freedoms |
| 1949 |
Geneva Conventions for the
Protection of War Victims
Protect wounded, sick and shipwrecked combatants, the people
protecting them, the buildings in which they are sheltered and
equipment used for their benefit. Also protect prisoners of
war and the civilian population. (189 states parties) |
| 1954 |
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property
in Armed Conflict
Protects monuments of art, architecture or history and other
cultural property. (101 states parties)
First Protocol to the Convention says such monuments shall not
be exported from occupied territories and that property so exported
shall be safeguarded and returned. (83 states parties)
Second Protocol strengthens the repression of violations and
also applies to armed conflicts. (9 states parties) |
| 1956 |
Draft Rules for the Limitation of the Dangers
Incurred by the Civilian Population in time of War |
| 1968 |
Human Rights in Armed Conflicts,
Resolution XXIII adopted by the International Conference on
Human Rights, Tehran, Iran |
| 1968 |
Convention on the Non-Applicability
of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity |
|
??1972 |
|
| 1972 |
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and
Toxin Weapons, and on their Destruction. The Convention bans
biological weapons. (144 states parties) |
| 1977 |
Additional
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions
Broadens the protection extended to civilians and limits the
means and methods of war (159 states parties)
Declaration provided for under Article 90 of Protocol 1 - International
Fact-Finding Mission
Provides for international fact-finding commission to investigate
allegations of "grave breaches and serious violations" of international
humanitarian law, and facilitate the restoration of an attitude
of respect for the law (60 states parties) |
| 1977 |
Addition Protocol
II to the Geneva Conventions
Contains fundamental guarantees for persons not taking part
in hostilities during non-international armed conflicts, and
sets rules relating to the protection of civilians, civilian
object and installations essential to the survival of the population
(151 states parties) |
| 1980 |
Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions
on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.
Establishes a framework for Protocol I banning the use of non-detectable
fragments; Protocol 2 banning the use of mines, booby traps
and other devices against civilians, and restricting their use
against military targets; and Protocol 3 prohibiting the use
of incendiary weapons against civilians and civilian objects,
as well as restricting their use against military targets |
| 1989 |
International Convention Against
the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries |
|
??1993 |
|
| 1993 |
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production, Stockpiling and use of Chemical Weapons, and their
Destruction. Bans chemical weapons (145 states parties) |
| 1993 |
International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia established, to prosecute those responsible for serious
violations of international humanitarian law there since 1991 |
| 1994 |
Establishment of the International criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda, to prosecute those responsible for genocide and
other crimes against humanity in Rwanda and neighbouring states
between 1 January and 31 December 1994 |
| 1996 |
Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Mines, Booby-traps and other Devices |
| 1997 |
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production, Stockpiling and use of Anti-Personnel Mines, and
their Destruction.
Bans anti-personnel landmines (122 states parties) |
| 1998 |
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Establishes a permanent international criminal court with jurisdiction
over genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It will
also have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, once defined.
The Rome Statue entered force on 1 July 2002. (89 states parties) |
| 1998 |
On 2 September, the ICTR hands down its first
conviction, finding a Rwandan Hutu leader guilty of genocide |
|
??2000 |
? |
| 2000 |
Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in
armed conflicts.
Raises the age limit for participation in hostilities to 18
years. |
| 2003 |
Inauguration of the International
Criminal Court, the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal,
in The 2003 Hague, with the swearing-in of its judges. |
| ? |
The 18-judge ICC
will have jurisdiction over the most serious crimes, including
war crimes, genocide, mass murder, enslavement, rape, torture,
and, once defined, the crime of aggression. The Court's jurisdiction
will cover only crimes committed after the entry into force
of The Rome Statute on 1 July 2002. The statute allows states
parties as well as the UN Security Council to refer situations
to the Court for investigation. |
| ? |
? |
| ? |
Primary source: ICRC http://www.icrc.org/ |
![Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict logo [Credit: ICRC/Nick Danziger]](images/logoCivilPro.jpg)
