What are the rules of war? The Geneva Conventions explained
No matter where a war is happening, civilians get caught in the middle — but where exactly is the line between acceptable collateral damage and a crime against humanity? While there’s no easy answer, the Geneva Conventions are a good place to start. Yahoo News explains the guidelines at the core of international humanitarian law.
Video Transcript
What exactly is the line between acceptable collateral damage and a war crime.
It's a difficult line to draw, especially as warfare rapidly evolves, but the fundamentals are laid out in the four Geneva conventions.
The first relates to armed forces in the field, wounded, sick or otherwise disabled soldiers are to be allowed medical treatment and are protected against torture and murder and their bodies should be returned whenever possible.
This convention also dictates that relief organizations with visible symbols, identifying themselves as medical and humanitarian aid are never to be targeted and should be given access to treat the wounded and deliver supplies.
The second Geneva Convention deals with armed forces at sea and more or less the same rules apply for shipwreck soldiers and aid being delivered by boat.
The third convention applies to prison of war.
Those captured in the course of a conflict are to be treated humanely and must be permitted to contact home either directly or through a humanitarian organization and should be released promptly following the end of the war.
And the fourth convention is all about civilians.
All of the same principles from the first three conventions also apply here.
But there are even more protections designed to minimize the impact on innocent populations, including that occupied forces are not allowed to impede access to food and medical supplies and civilians are not to be intentionally targeted in any way, either in their homes or while fleeing conflict.
These rules are enforced by the International Criminal Court and exist not only to prevent the worst at the worst of times, but also to provide a pathway to peace.
