Athens conference to mark 40th anniversary of 1977 Protocols additional to Geneva Conventions of 1949

Athens (ICRC) – Forty years ago, 124 States gathered in Switzerland to finalize and adopt Additional Protocols I and II to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. The Additional Protocols strengthened legal protection for victims of armed conflict, including civilians, in both international and non-international armed conflicts.

To mark the fortieth anniversary of the Additional Protocols, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Panteion University (the European Centre of Research and Training on Human Rights and Humanitarian Action) and the ΙCRC in Greece are co‑organizing a conference on "The reaffirmation and development of international humanitarian law 40 years later".

This event will bring together government officials, policymakers, legal experts, academics and humanitarian organizations to discuss the impact of the Additional Protocols on the practice of parties to armed conflicts and their relevance for today. Among the distinguished speakers will be Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Amanatidis, ICRC Vice-President Christine Beerli and Ambassador Stelios Perrakis, professor at Panteion University and member of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC).

The conference will begin at 1:30pm on 13 November and will conclude at 5pm on 14 November. It will take place at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Akadimias 1) in the G. Kranidiotis Amphitheatre.

In the twenty-first century, war dominates life in more than 22 countries across the globe. It is estimated that close to 90% of current war casualties are civilians, the majority of them women and children. The rules codified in the Additional Protocols remain as pertinent and essential today as they were four decades ago.

For further information, please contact:
Fragkiska Megaloudi, ICRC Press Officer, +30 6948716327