OUVRAGE : ICRC, Commentary on the First Geneva Convention: Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field

Jean-Marie HENCKAERTS

The application and interpretation of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977 have developed significantly in the sixty years since the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) first published its Commentaries on these important humanitarian treaties. To promote a better understanding of, and respect for, this body of law, the ICRC commissioned a comprehensive update of its original Commentaries, of which this is the first volume. Its preparation was coordinated by Jean-Marie Henckaerts, ICRC legal adviser and head of the project to update the Commentaries. The First Convention is a foundational text of international humanitarian law. It contains the essential rules on the protection of the wounded and sick, those assigned to their care, and the red cross and red crescent emblems. This article-by-article Commentary takes into account developments in the law and practice to provide up-to-date interpretations of the Convention. The new Commentary has been reviewed by humanitarian-law practitioners and academics from around the world. It is an essential tool for anyone working or studying within this field.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword, Peter Maurer 
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction, Jean-Marie Henckaerts and Heike Niebergall-Lackner
Preamble, Iris Müller
 
Chapter I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 

Article 1: Respect for the Convention, Jean-Marie Henckaerts
Article 2: Application of the Convention, Tristan Ferraro, Lindsey Cameron
Article 3: Conflicts not of an international character, Lindsey Cameron, Bruno Demeyere, Jean-Marie Henckaerts, Eve La Haye, Iris Müller, with contributions by Cordula Droege, Robin Geiss, Laurent Gisel
Article 4: Application by neutral Powers, Bruno Demeyere
Article 5: Duration of application, Lindsey Cameron
Article 6: Special agreements, Lindsey Cameron
Article 7: Non-renunciation of rights, Lindsey Cameron
Article 8: Protecting Powers, François Bugnion
Article 9: Activities of the ICRC and other impartial humanitarian organizations, Bruno Demeyere
Article 10: Substitutes for Protecting Powers, François Bugnion
Article 11: Conciliation procedure, Sylvain Vité

Chapter II. WOUNDED AND SICK

Article 12: Protection and care of the wounded and sick, Robin Geiss, with contributions by Helen Durham
Article 13: Protected persons, Lindsey Cameron
Article 14: Status of the wounded and sick who have fallen into enemy hands, Lindsey Cameron
Article 15: Search for casualties: Evacuation, Robin Geiss
Article 16: Recording and forwarding of information, Sandesh Sivakumaran
Article 17: Prescriptions regarding the dead. Graves Registration Service, Sandesh Sivakumaran
Article 18: Role of the population, Lindsey Cameron

Chapter III. MEDICAL UNITS AND ESTABLISHMENTS

Article 19: Protection of medical units and establishments, Alexander Breitegger
Article 20: Protection of hospital ships, Bruno Demeyere
Article 21: Discontinuance of protection of medical units and establishments, Alexander Breitegger
Article 22: Conditions not depriving medical units and establishments of protection, Alexander Breitegger
Article 23: Hospital zones and localities, Iris Müller

Chapter IV. PERSONNEL

Article 24: Protection of permanent personnel, Bruno Demeyere
Article 25: Protection of auxiliary personnel, Bruno Demeyere
Article 26: Personnel of aid societies, Bruno Demeyere
Article 27: Societies of neutral countries, Bruno Demeyere
Article 28: Retained personnel, Jann K. Kleffner 
Article 29: Status of auxiliary personnel who have fallen into enemy hands, Bruno Demeyere
Article 30: Return of medical and religious personnel, Bruno Demeyere
Article 31: Selection of personnel for return, Bruno Demeyere
Article 32: Return of personnel belonging to neutral countries, Bruno Demeyere 

Chapter V. BUILDINGS AND MATERIAL

Article 33: Buildings and material of medical units and establishments, Eve La Haye
Article 34: Property of aid societies, Eve La Haye

Chapter VI. MEDICAL TRANSPORTS

Article 35: Protection of medical transports, Geoffrey S. Corn
Article 36: Medical aircraft, Geoffrey S. Corn
Article 37: Flight over neutral countries. Landing of the wounded and sick, Geoffrey S. Corn

Chapter VII. THE DISTINCTIVE EMBLEM

Article 38: Emblem of the Convention, Michael Meyer
Article 39: Use of the emblem, Michael Meyer
Article 40: Identification of medical and religious personnel, Lindsey Cameron
Article 41: Identification of auxiliary personnel, Lindsey Cameron
Article 42: Marking of medical units and establishments, Alexander Breitegger
Article 43: Marking of units of neutral countries, Lindsey Cameron
Article 44: Restrictions in the use of the emblem. Exceptions, Michael Meyer

Chapter VIII. EXECUTION OF THE CONVENTION

Article 45: Detailed execution. Unforeseen cases, Jean-Marie Henckaerts, Dana Constantin
Article 46: Prohibition of reprisals, Eve La Haye
Article 47: Dissemination of the Convention, Iris Müller
Article 48: Translations. Implementing laws and regulations, Iris Müller

Chapter IX. REPRESSION OF ABUSES AND INFRACTIONS

Article 49: Penal sanctions, Eve La Haye
Article 50: Grave breaches, Knut Dörmann, Eve La Haye
Article 51: Responsibilities of the Contracting Parties, Eve La Haye
Article 52: Enquiry procedure, Sylvain Vité
Article 53: Misuse of the emblem, Michael Meyer
Article 54: Prevention of misuse of the emblem, Michael Meyer

FINAL ROVISIONS

Article 55: Languages, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 56: Signature, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 57: Ratification, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 58: Coming into force, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 59: Relation to previous Conventions, Iris Müller
Article 60: Accession, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker 
Article 61: Notification of accessions, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 62: Immediate effect, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker
Article 63: Denunciation, Stephan Michel, Claude Schenker with contributions by Iris Müller
Article 64: Registration with the United Nations, Stephan Michel and Claude Schenker 
Testimonium and signature clause, Stephan Michel and Claude Schenker 

Sources
Index

ICRC, Commentary on the First Geneva Convention: Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016 (1294 pp.)