International Humanitarian Law - Treaties & Documents

The ICRC: promoter and guardian of
international humanitarian law (IHL)

The International Humanitarian Law database contains:

100 treaties and other texts (These include law protecting the victims of war and law governing the conduct of hostilities, from 1856 to the present. The treaties are set out both in the form of their full text and of their individual articles. They are arranged according to subject and in chronological order.)

The Commentaries on the four Geneva Conventions and their two Additional Protocols of 1977 (These may be consulted from the individual articles of the treaties or as a whole through the “Commentaries” option.)

The current situation regarding signatures, ratifications, accessions and successions as well as the full texts of reservations, declarations and objections made by the States with respect to international humanitarian law treaties. (The latter may be consulted by activating the link from the date of the reservation.)

Tables showing the States party to selected treaties

PDF file (112 kb)
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Microsoft Excel File for download (zip file)
(66 kb)