The International Committee of the Red Cross is marking the 60th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions, signed on August 12th 1949, by calling on countries and armed groups to adhere to the spirit of the treaties.

The Conventions and their protocols form the backbone of international humanitarian law. They set agreed limits on how war – if it has to be fought at all – should be waged and how its victims should be treated. “These conventions have proved to be highly relevant and to have been extremly useful for the protection of thousands of people,” said ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger.More about: Anniversary, Geneva, War crimes

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