#AllezDemocracy 01 - Swiss Federal Archives: The Geneva Conventions
The first Geneva Convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field" was signed more than 150 years ago on the 22nd August, 1864.
Both the original document from 1864, which you can read in these pictures, and the Conventions signed in 1949, are still in force today.
CH-BAR#K1#1000/1414#2*, ref. K1.1777, Übereinkommen vom 22. August 1864 zur Verbesserung des Looses der im Kriege verwundeten Militärs [AS VIII 480, SR 0.518], 1864
In his book "Un souvenir de Solférino" ("A Memory of Solferino"), published in 1862, Geneva businessman Henry Dunant documented his observations as an eyewitness to the bloody battle that took place on 24 June 1859. In addition to describing his experiences, he also put forward two proposals for improving protection for the war-wounded.
First, medical personnel should be recognised as a neutral party on the battlefield, enabling them to care for the wounded without hindrance. Second, aid societies for the care of those injured in war should be established in each country.
Dunant's ideas were well received throughout Europe, and in 1863 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was estabished. Subsequently, the ICRC organised numerous conferences and pushed ahead with the development of international humanitarian law.
A diplomatic conference in Geneva in August 1864, convened by the Swiss Federal Council at the request of the ICRC, led to the signing of the first Geneva Convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field".
The ICRC worked constantly to adapt the Convention's application in the face of new challenges. In 1899, the Geneva Convention was extended to maritime warfare, while 1929 saw the adoption of the second Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
In 1948, the Federal Council convened a further diplomatic conference in Geneva, to discuss the Conventions and amend them in the light of the experience of World War II. This resulted in the revision of the existing Conventions and in the addition of a new Convention covering the civilian population and the victims of internal armed conflicts. A Convention laying down rules for armed conflict at sea was also drafted. The four Conventions that emerged from this work in 1949 came into force a year later, and remain in force to this day.
The four Conventions were reaffirmed in 1977, when two Additional Protocols were added, incorporating further rules for the humane conduct of war. A further Additional Protocol added in 2005 provided for the adoption of a fourth distinctive emblem, the Red Crystal, in addition to the Red Cross, the Red Crescent and the Red Lion with Sun (the last used exclusively by Iran). As of June 2014, the Geneva Conventions have been signed by 196 states.
Switzerland is the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions, with responsibilities which include the conservation and preservation of the original documents. The Swiss Federal Archives have digitised the 1864 original, the Conventions established in 1949, as well as further documentation on the subject. All material is available on Wikimedia Commons.