Relevant treaties include:
United Nations Resolution on Human Rights in Armed Conflicts, 1968
Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| “Geneva I” Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field |
Aug. 12, 1949 |
| “Geneva II” Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea |
Aug. 12, 1949 |
| “Geneva III” Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War |
Aug. 12, 1949 |
| “Geneva IV” Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War |
Aug. 12, 1949 |
| “Protocol I” Protocol Additions to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts |
June 8, 1977 |
| “Protocol II” Protocol II Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts |
June 8, 1977 |
| “Protocol III” Protocol III Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem |
Dec. 8, 2005 |
United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (U.S.T.) are available on HeinOnline.
Switzerland is the official depositary for the Geneva Conventions. The Swiss Federal Archives has digitized much of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, and they are viewable from their website.
Law Library of Congress - Geneva Conventions Materials
A collection of full-text conference proceedings, reports and drafts related to the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, as well as the complete Proceedings of the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, which can be directly accessed at this link. This collection is useful for researchers looking for more context and discussion about the creation of particular treaties and specifically offers U.S. Government Documents articulating its position with regard to international obligations under relevant treaties.
International Committee of the Red Cross Treaty Database
The ICRC database provides access to dozens of IHL treaties organized by topic, State, and date. The database also provides documentation and commentaries concerning the implementation of international humanitarian law at the national level.
The main topical areas for IHL treaties in the database are:
Treaties in Force: A List of Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States
List treaties and other international agreements of the United States on record in the Department of State, which, as of January 1, 2020, had not expired by their own terms or which had not been denounced by the parties, replaced or superseded by other agreements, or otherwise definitely terminated.
International courts are formed by treaties between nations or under the authority of an international organization like the United Nations. Those subject to the court will typically include signatory states (and, in some cases, private citizens of those states). The authorizing statute or treaty for an international court will outline its jurisdiction, usually including the following:
The following is a list of the major international courts and tribunals that regularly deal with issues of international humanitarian law:
In addition to the importance of permanent, international courts and regional human rights bodies, ad hoc tribunals were set up in the past to deal with particular conflicts. The following is a list of the major temporary tribunals:
This tribunal conducted the famous Nuremberg Trials of civilian and military leaders of Germany after World War II. The Avalon Project’s page offers access to a wide array of materials relating to the tribunal itself as well as individual cases.
Harvard Law School's Law Library also offers access to a variety of primary documents related to the Nuremberg Trials via their Nuremberg Trials Project.
There are various print and electronic materials dealing with military trials:
Consulting the military operational manuals and documents of the United States and other countries may also be important to your research. Here are some sources to consult in this area:
The Taggart Law Library is here to help! Schedule an appointment with a librarian or chat with us using our online chat feature. Open to ONU Law students, faculty, staff, and alumni.