Soon after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions in 1949, it became apparent that additional rules would be necessary for the protection of civilians in wartime. There was also a need to develop international humanitarian law to encompass new forms of conflict that had emerged since the Second World War – such as struggles against colonial and foreign rule – to set clear humanitarian standards applicable in times of civil war, and to take account of advances in weapons technology.
Under ICRC auspices, two draft protocols were formulated in the early 1970s to address these issues and complement the Geneva Conventions. The drafts were then submitted for consideration at a Diplomatic Conference convened in Geneva between 1974 and 1977. The two Additional Protocols were adopted on 8 June 1977.
- Rules to limit suffering in war, series of photos illustrating rules laid down by the 1977 protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions.