Ratification of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, called for the Geneva Conventions to be made a political priority. While they are considered universally ratified with 196 signatory states, their enforcement remains an enormous challenge. Not only the respect and observance of the conventions and their additional protocols by the signatory states, but also the further ratification of the additional protocols are therefore indispensable in view of the increasing conflicts worldwide. While 20 active conflicts were counted in 1999, there are currently more than 120.