The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, the two Additional Protocols of 1977 and the 2005 form the basis of international law humanitarian aid. The first codification of the rules that the belligerents must observe during the hostilities have been adopted at The Hague on the occasion of the Diplomatic Conference of 1899 and 1907. Among the fifteen conventions that currently constitute the "Hague law" - still in force and binding on the Contracting States - should be mentioned those on the Laws and Customs of War on Land, as for the protection Shipwrecked at sea during the war, the rights and duties of the Powers and Persons neutrali.Tutti countries of the world have acceded to the four Conventions.
The Geneva Conventions protect primarily persons who are not or are no longer in an armed conflict, namely civilians and prisoners. Who is at the mercy of the violence of a party to the conflict have the right to respect for his life and his physical and psychological. With Conventions signatory states undertake to treat friends and enemies without any distinction, respect the human being, the dignity of women, the rights of the family, customs, religious beliefs, to refuse treatment inhuman or degrading treatment, hostage taking, mass killings, torture, summary executions, looting, acts of violence and wanton destruction of private property. The delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross are allowed to visit the camps prisoners of war, internees and to converse with the detainees without witnesses.
The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols:
- The 1st and the 2nd Geneva Convention of 1949, States Parties undertake to protect the wounded, sick and shipwrecked, medical personnel, ambulances and hospitals . The parties to the conflict must ensure their care and support.
- The 3rd Geneva Convention contains rules on the treatment of prisoners of war.
- The 4th Geneva Convention protects civilians from abuse and violence who are in occupied territory or in enemy hands.
- the 1st Additional Protocol of 1977 with the new arrangements of the fourth Geneva Convention to the international armed conflict and contains rules governing the conduct of the war, such as the prohibition to attack civilian persons and objects, and the limitation of means and methods authorized.
- The 2 nd Additional Protocol of 1977 on the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.
Finally, because of recent events in some countries, involved in acts of violence, the structures of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, was adopted a Third Additional Protocol, which provides for the use by international humanitarian organizations, a symbol not connected or confused with any religious denomination. Therefore, in December 2005, a Diplomatic Conference convened by Switzerland approved the 3rd Additional Protocol, which establishes a new emblem, the Red Crystal. As of January 14, 2007, the new symbol can be used in addition to the Red Cross and Red Crescent to report people and objects that must be protected. Sixty years on the Geneva Conventions, the basic principles of law international humanitarian law continue to be violated in armed conflict. The legal system in Geneva must also deal with new international challenges: the proliferation of non-state armed groups, some of which reject the very existence of international humanitarian law, the asymmetric nature of contemporary armed conflicts, which accentuates the differences between the belligerents in terms of military and technological capabilities, and the increasing difficulty of distinguishing between combatants and civilians in military operations, the outsourcing of military activities to private companies.
While recognizing that international humanitarian law must adapt to these new challenges, we believe that the Geneva principles continue to be the fundamental basis and essential to protect the fighters, prisoners and civilians in theaters of war.
Italy has a strong humanitarian tradition. Our country has ratified all the Conventions and Protocols and has a long history of collaboration with the International Red Cross Movement. Such collaboration occurs on many levels, from institutional collaboration with the Italian Red Cross (CRI) in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) through an annual contribution (Italy is one of the top 10 contributors), and the response to individual emergency appeals in cases of armed conflicts and internal tensions.
Italy also cooperates with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law San Remo, one of the most important centers of international education in the field of international humanitarian law.
