Direct access to the treaties database: http://www.icrc.org/ihl

The texts can be viewed in full or by individual article. They are arranged by date and by topic, the seven major categories being:

• criminal repression
• culturaly property
• environment
• methods and means of warfare
• naval and airwarfare
• victims of armed conflicts
• others

Commentaries on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977, published and edited by the ICRC, can be consulted as a whole for each treaty, or by individual article, directly from the texts by activating the relevant links (small yellow icons).

The database provides the list and number of States party and signatory to each treaty, as well as any relevant reservations, declarations or objections.

The database also has a search option which appears at the top right-hand side of the screen (to conduct searches for words contained in the texts). After the search criteria are entered, the screen displays a list of the relevant articles in chronological order by treaty.

The database is updated regularly both as regards the texts of the treaties it contains and the situation pertaining to signatures and ratifications.

All the texts contained in the database, as well as the treaty ratification tables, can be printed.