The Geneva Convention

Once upon a time, a Japanese surgeon named Sadao encountered a life-changing incident when he faced an American soldier injured by a gunshot. Despite being told by the government not to help people from another country, he took the chance to perform his duty.

There is another eye-opening instance in history. During the Battle of Anandpur Sahib, Bhai Ghanaiya Ji was given the task by Guru Gobind Singh Ji of providing water to wounded soldiers. With utter kindness, he did not differentiate between Sikhs and non-Sikhs, and executed his duty. No matter how hard it gets, Wars cannot and must not disguise humanity. To safeguard this vision, the Geneva Convention was established—a medium for humanising war.

BACKGROUND

The first government to define International Laws of War was the National Union Party (USA). In 1863, Abraham Lincoln developed the ‘Lieber Code’ during times of civil war. It included a set of instructions from the Military Department to ensure that every citizen or wounded combatant should be treated humanely. It prohibited forceful work and violence against 'rival civilians'.

In Europe, a social activist and Nobel prize winner Henry Dunant observed the war casualties which happened in the Battle of Solferino (1859). It was fought during the unification of Italy between the Austrian and Franco-Piedmontese armies.

Dunant witnessed the aftermath of the battle. There, he saw the dreadful condition of soldiers. As a result, he wrote A Memory of Solferino describing the grief and horrors of battles.

The first Geneva Convention was set up by the Swiss Government on 22 August 1864. The convention of 'Wounded in Armies in the Field' was adopted and signed. Further, in 1929, the convention of 'Prisoners of War' was also included, which was the result of World War I casualties that happened to prisoners.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Geneva Convention laws define war time. The local NGOs, population, and relief societies that help military people to perform the duty of carrying out humanitarian tasks are given consideration and protection by convention. It is prohibited to torture and abandon a war victim.

The prisoners of war are not considered criminals but only opponents unable to participate in the conflict. They get a chance to intimate their conditions after they are convicted, to their families and central prisoners of war agency.

The Geneva Convention protects the following in war conditions:

The first convention examines the sick and wounded soldiers on land during the war. It follows conventions adopted in 1864, 1906, and 1929. The second convention protects the sick, injured, and shipwrecked military personnel. It replaced the Hague Convention of 1907. Precisely, it protects the combatants during the war at sea. The third convention treats the prisoners of war. This states that prisoners of war have to be released soon after the end of conflict without any delay. The fourth convention safeguards the civilians of occupied territory during wartime. It is concerned with the safety of the general public which gets harmed due to violence.

We can note that the foremost objective behind Geneva Convention regulations is to practise humanity. To count everyone as a human is essential. Hence, it sees no discrimination between a friend and foe when treating a defenceless, sick, and wounded enemy in war.