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Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Commentary - Art. 1. Annex I : Draft agreement relating to hospital zones and localities

ARTICLE 1

-- BENEFICIARIES

[p.416] Article 1 determines the categories of persons who will be entitled to reside in hospital zones (1).

Paragraph 1 covers the same ground as Article 23

of the Convention, to which it refers. Reference should therefore be made to our comments on that Article, for particulars of the categories covered -- namely, the wounded and sick, medical personnel and personnel responsible for the organization and administration of the zones. (2)

We should perhaps add that in our opinion the expression "personnel entrusted with the organization and administration of the zones" must be taken in a fairly broad sense, to include, for example, the police, the services responsible for preventing the entry into the zone of persons who have no right to reside there, and the fire and passive defence services, as well as members of the Commissions of control provided for in Article 8

of the Draft Agreement.

Paragraph 2 is concerned with the resident population which, although not mentioned in the Convention itself, must nevertheless be taken into account -- especially when dealing with hospital zones of some magnitude. Residents in the zone have certain obligations which will be discussed in connection with the following Article

The Monaco Draft (3) authorized the temporary residence in a hospital zone of members of the armed forces on leave who originally came from the area in question. This would appear to be allowed by the existing text, and the same facility might well be extended to workers back on holiday from factories engaged in war production.

* (1) [(1) p.416] Under Article 13 of the Draft Agreement, the

latter applies to hospital localities as well as to

hospital zones. Everything said in regard to the zones

should therefore be taken as also applying to localities;

(2) [(2) p.416] See above, page 213;

(3) [(3) p.416] See above, page 208;