The Geneva Conventions were born from the ashes of wars and genocide, shaped by the collective resolve to prevent such horrors from ever recurring. Their principles were not abstract ideals but a necessary safeguard against humanity’s worst instincts.
Yet, history has shown that memory fades, and with it, our vigilance. If we forget why these protections exist, if we fail to uphold them, we risk allowing the mistakes of the past to be repeated. Dehumanisation is often where such violence begins: when people are stripped of their humanity, cruelty becomes easier to justify, and atrocities easier to commit.
Today, as conflicts rage and civilians continue to be targeted, the lessons of the Holocaust demand more than remembrance—they demand action. They compel us to stand firm against hatred, to defend the dignity of every person, and to uphold the laws that seek to protect life in war.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
press@icrc.org
