The Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949. Commentary. Volume II: For the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. PDF
Preview The Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949. Commentary. Volume II: For the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea.
THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS OF 12 AUGUST 1949 CO-MMENTARY published under the general editorship of Jean S. PICTET Doctor of Laws Director for General Affairs of the International Committee of the Red Cross G E N E V A C O N V E N T I O N FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF WOUNDED, SICK AND SHIPWRECKED MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES AT SEA + Inter ama caritas GENEVA INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS 1960 COMMEN TAR Y published under the general editorship of Jean S. PICTET Doctor of Laws Director for General Affairs of the International Committee of the Red Cross G E N E V A C O N V E N T I O N FOR THE AMELIORAT~ONOF THE CONDITION OF WOUNDED, SICK AND SHIPWRECKED MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES AT SEA by Jean S. PICTET Doctor of Laws with the co-operation of Rear-Admiral Mi W. MOUTON Doctor of Laws and FrBdBric SIORDET Claude PILLOUD Advocate Advocate Vim-President of the ICRC Assistant Director for General Affairs of the ICRC Jean-Pierre SCHOENHOLZER RenB- Jean WILHELM Member of the Legal Department Member of the Legal Department of the ICRC of the ICRC Oscar M. UHLER Doctor of Laws Former Member of the Legal Department of the ICRC Translated into English from the original French by A. P. de HENEY GENEVA INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS 1960 CONTENTS Page FOREWOR. D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 INTRODUCT.IO.N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. The Maritime Convention ": its origin and progressive " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . development 2. Revision of the Geneva Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . TITLEOF THE CONVENTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PREAMBLE CHAPTERI GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE1.-Respect for the Convention . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE2.-Apfilication of the Convention . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 1.-Armed conflicts involving the application of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the Convention Paragraph 2.-Occupied territories . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 3.-Conflicts in which the belligerents are not all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . parties to the Convention ARTICLE3.-Conflicts rtot of an international character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 1.-Applicable provisions Paragraph 2.-- Right of humanitarian initiative . . . . . Paragraph 3.-Special agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 4.-Lack of effect on the legal status of the Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to the conflict ARTICLE4.-Field of application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE5.-Application by neutral Powers . . . . . . . . . . VI CONTENTS Page ARTICLE6.-Sfiecial agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 General Remarks and Historical Background . . . . . . . . 46 Paragraph 1. -Nature, form. and limitation of special agree- ments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 First sentence. Nature and form of special agreements - 2. Second sentence. -Prohibited special agreements . . Paragraph 2.-Duration of special agreements . . . . . . ARTICLE7.-Non-renunciation of rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Renunciation of protection under the Convention 2. Nature of the rights conferred on protected persons . . . ARTICLE8.-Pyotecting Poweys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 1.-General r81e of the Protecting Powers . . . Paragraph 2 .-Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 3.-Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE9..Activities of the International Committee of the Red CYOSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE10.-- Substitutes for Protecting Powers . . . . . . . . Paragraph 1. -- Special international organization . . . . . Paragraph 2.-Absence of Protecting Power . . . . . . . Pdragraph 3.-- Absence of a substitute . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 4.-- Requisite qualifications . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 5.-Prohibition of derogations . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE11.-- Conciliation 9rocedure . . . . . . . . . . . . .-- . . . Paragraph 1 Good offices of the Protecting Powers Paragraph 2. .Meeting of representatives of the Parties to the conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTERI1 WOUNDED. SICK AND SHIPWRECKED ARTICLE12. Protection and care . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Paragraph 1. -Respect and protection . . . . . . . . . . CONTENTS VII Page Paragraph 2. -- Treatment and care . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Paragraph 3. -Order of treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Paragraph 4. Treatment of women . . . . . . . . . . . 92 - ARTICLE13.-Protected persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 ARTICLE14.-- Handing over to a belligerent . . . . . . . . . 104 ARTICLE15.-- Wounded taken on board a neutral'warship . . . . 107 ARTICLE16.-- Wounded falling into enemy hands . . . . . . . 112 ARTICLE17.-Wounded landed in a neutral Port . . . . . . . . 116 1. General remarks and historical background . . . . . . . 117 2. Commentary on the Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 3. Cases not provided for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 A. Hospital ships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 B. Belligerent merchant vessels . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 C. Solution by the commentator . . . . . . . . . . . 125 ARTICLE18.-- Search for casualties after an engagement . . . . . 129 Paragraph 1. Search, protection and first aid . . . . . . 130 - Paragraph 2.-Evacuation of a besieged area . . . . . . . 134 ARTICLE19.-- Recording and forwarding of information . . . . 136 Paragraph 1. -Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Paragraph 2 .-Forwarding of information . . . . . . . . 140 Paragraph 3.. Particulars of the dead . . . . . . . . . . 142 ARTICLE20.-P~escrifitionsy egarding the dead . . . . . . . . 146 Paragraph 1. -- Examination of bodies ;burial at sea . . . . 147 Paragraph 2 .-Reference to the First Convention . . . . . 149 ARTICLE21.-A$fieals to neutral vessels . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Paragraph 1. -Appeals to charity . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Paragraph 2. Protection and facilities . . . . . . . . . 152 - Paragraph 3.' Exemption from capture . . . . . . . . . 153 -- VIII CONTENTS HOSPITAL SHIPS Page INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 . ARTICLE22 .Notification and protection of military hospital ships 155 Paragraph 1. -Protection and conditions therefor . . . . . 157 1. Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 2. Conditions for protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 A. Exclusive use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 B. Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Paragraph 2.-Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 ARTICLE2 3 .-- Protection of medical establishments ashore . . . 162 ARTICLE24.-Hospital ships utilized by relief societies and private individuals of I .Parties to the conflict . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Paragraph 1.-Assimilation to hospital ships . . . . . . . 164 Paragraph 2.-Control certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 ARTICLE2 5 .-Hospital ships utilized by relief societies and private individuals of 11.neutral countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 ARTICLE2 6 .-Tonnage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE2 7 .-- Coastal rescue craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 1. -- Rescue craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 2.-- Installations on land . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE2 8 .-- Protection of sick-bays . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE2 9 .-- Hospital ships in occupied ports . . . . . . . . ARTICLE3 0 ..Employment of hospital ships and small craft . . ARTICLE3 1 .-- Right of control and searclz . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE3 2 .-- Stay in a neutral port . . . . . . . ARTICLE3 3. -Converted me~chantv essels . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE3 4. -Discontinuance of fwotection . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE3 5. .Conditions not depriving hospital ships of pro- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tection CONTENTS IX CHAPTERIV PERSONNEL Page 1. The various categories of personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 2. The general principles applicable . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 ARTICLE36. -Protection of the personnel of hospital ships . . . 203 ARTICLE37. -Medical and religious flersonnel of other ships . . 206 Paragraph 1. -Protection and return . . . . . . . . . . 207 Paragraph 2. -Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 CHAPTERV MEDICAL TRANSPORTS ARTICLE38. -Ships used for the conveyance of medical equipment 212 ARTICLE39. -Medical aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Paragraph 1.-Definition and protection . . . . . . . . . 216 Paragraph 2. -Marking and recognition . . . . . . . . . 217 . . Paragraph 3. -Prohibition of flight over enemy territory 219 Paragraph 4. -Summons to alight . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Paragraph 5. -Forced landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 ARTICLE40. -Flight over neutral countries ;landing of wounded 222 Paragraphs 1 and 2. - Conditions for flight and landing 223 Paragraph 3. -Landing of wounded . . . . . . . . . . . 224 CHAPTERVI THE DISTINCTIVE EMBLEM ARTICLE41. -Use of the emblem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Paragraph 1. -Use of the emblem . . . . . . . . . . . 226 1. Nature and use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 2. Control by the military authority . . . . . . . . . . 230 Paragraph 2. -Authorized exceptions . . . . . . . . . . 231 X CONTENTS Page ARTICLE42. .Identification of medical and religious #ersonnel 232 Paragraph 1.. The armlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3 Paragraphs 2 and 3.-- The identity card . . . . . . . . . 236 Paragraph 4.-Confiscation prohibited ;replacement . . . . 239 ARTICLE43.-- Marking of hosfiital shifis and small craft . . . . 240 Paragraph 1.-- Methods of marking . . . . . . . . . . . 241 ' Paragraph 2. . Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Paragraph 3.-Lifeboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 ARTICLE44. Limitation in the use of markings . . . . . . . . 246 - ARTICLE45.-Prevention of misuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 CHAPTERVII EXECUTION OF THE CONVENTION ARTICLE46.-- Detailed execution . Unforeseen cases . . . . . . . 251 ARTICLE47.-Prohibition of re#risals . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 ARTICLE48.-Dissemination of the Convention . . . . . . . . 257 ARTICLE4 9.-Translations. Rules of afifilication . . . . . . . 259 CHAPTERVIII REPRESSION OF ABUSES AND INFRACTIONS Penal -sanctions (Articles 50 to 52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE50.-Penal Sanctions :I . General observations . . . . Paragraph 1.-Special legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 2.-Search for and prosecution of persons who have committed grave breaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paragraph 3.-Suppression of other breaches . . . . . . . Paragraph 4.-Procedural guarantees . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE51.. Penal Sanctions :11.Grave breaches . . . . . . ARTICLE52..Penal Sanctions :111.Resfionsibilities of the Con- tracting Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE53.-Enquiry firocedure . . . . . . . . . . CONTENTS XI FINAL PROVISIONS Page ARTICLE5 4 .-- Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 ARTICLE5 5. . Signatwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 4 ARTICLE5 6 .-Ratification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE5 7 .-Coming into force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE58.-Relation to the 1907 Convention . . . . . . . . ARTICLE5 9 .-- Accession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE6 0 .-- Notification of accessions . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE6 1. -- Immediate e8ect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE6 2.. Denunciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTICLE63.-- Registration with the United Nations . . . . . . ANNEX.-Model identity card for medical #ersonneZ and chaplains FOREWORD On August 12, 1949, Plenipotentiaries from almost every country ifi the world, after four monthsJ continuous work.at the Diplomatic Conference, approved the text of the new Geneva Conventions. All the Powers represented at the Conference signed the Conventions shortly afterwards and almost all have ratified them. Thus the 1949 Conventions, a decisive step in the work of protecting war victims, are now attaining the universality which has always given the humani- tarian law of Geneva its force. Once the Conventions had been drawn up the International Com- mittee of the Red Cross decided to undertake a Commentary. This task was entrusted to members of the Committee's staff who had in most cases been working ever since the end of the last world conflict-and even before-on the revision of the Conventions, and were closely associated with the discussions of the Diplomatic Conference of 1949 and the meetings of experts which preceded it. The first volume of the Commentary, dealing with the First Convention of 1949, appeared in 1952 ;it was followed in 1956 by a second volume, concerning the Fourth Convention, and in 1958 by a third, on the Third Convention l. The volume on the Second Con- vention is now being Published, and with it the International Com- mittee completes this undertaking. Although published by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Commentary is the personal work of its authors. The Committee moreover, whenever called upon for an opinion on a pro- vision of an international Convention, always takes care to emphasize that only the participant States are qualified, through consultation between themselves, to give an o$cial and, as it were, authentic inter- pretation of an intergovernmental treaty. This Commentary has been written mainly by Mr. Jean S. Pictet, who received constant and valuable assistance from Rear-Admiral Dates of the original (French) edition. The English version of the Commentary on the Fourth Convention appeared in 1958, and that on the Third Convention in 1960.
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