On the 17th of October, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published the updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. This is the latest in the series of updated Commentaries produced by the ICRC and a team of renowned legal experts applying the treaty interpretation methodology set out in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT).
International humanitarian law, at its core, is about protecting people affected by armed conflict. This was the inspiration behind the treaties that form the foundation of this body of law, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Despite the long-standing nature of these treaties, we continue to see a clear need for better compliance with their provisions on today’s battlefields. In order to achieve this goal, the Parties to armed conflict must know and understand their obligations under the law. The ICRC’s updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention is a key tool to assist them in this.
As highlighted by Jean-Marie Henckaerts, Head of the ICRC’s Commentaries Project, treaties cannot be applied without first interpreting their terms — a principle central to the methodology of the updated Commentaries, grounded in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. This project, launched in 2011, aims to clarify how the Geneva Conventions and their Protocols apply in today’s conflicts, providing practitioners, policymakers, and scholars with a practical tool to support understanding and implementation of the law and ultimately ensure better protection for civilians.
The updated Commentary is a reference tool that provides the type of clear understanding of the legal framework that is a crucial first step in achieving better respect for IHL by all parties to armed conflict and strengthening their ability to influence others. Organized by the ICRC, this launch event will bring together legal experts, scholars, and humanitarian practitioners for a dynamic discussion on the Commentary’s key findings and their practical implications.
- International sign language interpretation will be provided at this event. -