The First Session of the Diplomatic Conference on Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, Geneva, 20 February - 29 March 1974

Abstract

When the Swiss Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Pierre Graber, on 20 February 1974 officially opened the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, much preparatory work had preceded this event. This chapter presents a description of the events which took place since the last report and describes the proceedings of the Diplomatic Conference itself. As the outcome of these preparatory activities, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published in June 1973 the definitive text of two Draft Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, one (Draft Protocol I) relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts and the other (Draft Protocol II) to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts. Diplomatic Conference succeeded in overcoming some critical political difficulties and it made a useful start on the work on the Draft Protocols.Keywords: diplomatic conference; draft protocols; Geneva conventions; ICRC; international armed conflicts; international humanitarian law; non-international armed conflicts