III 

Calendar No. 146 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 206 

Marking the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, 

expressing concern about significant violations of international humanitarian law on contemporary battlefields, and encouraging United States 

leadership in ensuring greater respect for international humanitarian 

law in current conflicts, particularly with its security partners. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 14, 2019 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. YOUNG) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JULY 15, 2019 

Reported by Mr. RISCH, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Marking the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, expressing concern about significant violations of international humanitarian law on contemporary 

battlefields, and encouraging United States leadership 

in ensuring greater respect for international humanitarian law in current conflicts, particularly with its security partners. 


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•SRES 206 RS 

Whereas the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, along with 

their Additional Protocols, are the foundation of international humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law 

of armed conflict, the body of law that seeks to ensure 

wars have limits; 

Whereas 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and serves as a reminder of the 

importance and continued relevance of IHL in a world 

with proliferating and protracted armed conflicts, unprecedented displacement, and immense suffering; 

Whereas the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 reflect more 

than just law; they reflect the universal recognition that 

wars must be fought humanely; 

Whereas, at its core, IHL sets out a fundamental obligation 

that people, even in times of armed conflict, must be 

treated with humanity; 

Whereas IHL requires all parties to armed conflicts, whether 

states or non-state armed groups, to comply with rules 

and basic principles that seek to preserve the lives and 

dignity of human beings, such as that: civilians and civilian objects must not be targeted; hospitals and medical 

personnel must be respected and must not be attacked; 

no one shall be subjected to torture or other forms of ill 

treatment; and rape and other forms of sexual violence 

are prohibited; 

Whereas today’s conflicts are marred by significant violations 

of IHL, the effects of which are apparent across armed 

conflicts, from restrictions on humanitarian access contributing to the world’s worst cholera outbreak in Yemen, 

to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, in addition to 

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sonnel and health facilities; to the Islamic State’s use of 

civilians as human shields; to widespread killings, sexual 

violence, and forced displacement in countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo, Somalia, and elsewhere; 

Whereas people detained in armed conflict, including prisoners of war (POWs), often suffer torture, abuse, and inhumane living conditions, such as insufficient food, 

water, and health services; 

Whereas, while many states have taken significant steps to 

ensure humane treatment of detainees, and adequate living conditions, many others still fail to comply with basic 

standards of treatment and care as required by IHL; 

Whereas, as mandated by the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plays a 

vital role in visiting detainees in situations of armed conflict with a view to preventing torture and other forms 

of ill-treatment, preventing disappearances, improving 

overall detention conditions, maintaining family contacts, 

and promoting judicial guarantees; 

Whereas the United States has an expressed preference for 

pursuing its military objectives ‘‘by, with, and through’’ 

its security partners in some parts of the world, but state 

militaries and non-state armed groups with which the 

United States partners may lack sufficient commitment 

to IHL principles or capabilities to conduct their operations in a manner that effectively minimizes civilian 

harm; 

Whereas it is essential, as a critical component of its policies 

and diplomatic relations, that the United States affirms 

its commitment to not only respect the rules of IHL but 


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to ensure respect by its partners and adopt policies conditioning its security assistance in this regard; 

Whereas, as the nature of warfare changes, IHL remains relevant to ensure wars are fought with limits; 

Whereas IHL was created to respond to new developments 

and domains in warfare, such as cyber operations, and 

new challenges do not undermine the importance or relevance of IHL, but rather call for affirming, applying, 

and ensuring compliance with IHL; 

Whereas sweeping counterterrorism measures and countrybased sanctions have sometimes impeded neutral, impartial lifesaving humanitarian action in countries like Somalia and Syria; 

Whereas the United States has a long tradition of implementing and upholding IHL, not just as a matter of legal 

obligation but also because respect for human life and 

protecting the vulnerable reflects the best traditions of a 

professional military force; 

Whereas United States senior military leadership often publicly recognizes that minimizing civilian harm is central 

to mission effectiveness and therefore serves the United 

States national security interests; and 

Whereas, as long as armed conflict remains a reality, there 

must also be a limit to suffering, and IHL, as outlined 

70 years ago in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, 

sets out these limits: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas the United States has ratified the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, along with Protocol III of 2005 (the ‘‘Geneva Conventions’’); 

Whereas 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva 

Conventions of 1949, which form a pillar of the law of 


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armed conflict and international humanitarian law and 

serves as a reminder of the importance and continued relevance of these conventions in a world with proliferating 

and protracted armed conflicts, unprecedented displacement, and immense suffering; 

Whereas the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 reflect more than 

just law; they reflect the universal recognition that wars 

must be fought humanely; 

Whereas, at their core, the Geneva Conventions set out a fundamental obligation that people, even in times of armed conflict, must be treated with humanity; 

Whereas the Geneva Conventions require all parties to armed 

conflicts, whether states or non-state armed groups, to comply with rules and basic principles that seek to preserve 

the lives and dignity of human beings, such as that: civilians and civilian objects must not be targeted; hospitals 

and medical personnel must be respected and must not be 

attacked; no one shall be subjected to torture or other forms 

of ill treatment; and rape and other forms of sexual violence are prohibited; 

Whereas today’s conflicts are marred by significant violations 

of the Geneva Conventions, the effects of which are apparent across armed conflicts, from restrictions on humanitarian access contributing to the world’s worst cholera outbreak in Yemen, to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, 

in addition to attacks against civilians, and medical personnel and health facilities; to the Islamic State’s use of 

civilians as human shields; to widespread killings, sexual 

violence, and forced displacement in countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 

Somalia, and elsewhere; 


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•SRES 206 RS 

Whereas people detained in armed conflict, including prisoners 

of war (POWs), often suffer torture, abuse, and inhumane 

living conditions, such as insufficient food, water, and 

health services; 

Whereas, while many states have taken significant steps to ensure humane treatment of detainees, and adequate living 

conditions, many others still fail to comply with basic 

standards of treatment and care as required by the Geneva 

Conventions; 

Whereas, as mandated by the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plays a vital 

role in visiting detainees in situations of armed conflict 

with a view to preventing torture and other forms of illtreatment, preventing disappearances, improving overall 

detention conditions, maintaining family contacts, and 

promoting judicial guarantees; 

Whereas it is essential, as a critical component of its policies 

and diplomatic relations, that the United States affirms 

its commitment to not only respect the rules of the law of 

armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions but also to 

promote respect by its security partners in this regard; 

Whereas, as the nature of warfare changes, the Geneva Conventions remain relevant to ensure wars are fought with limits; 

Whereas the Geneva Conventions were intended to be adaptive 

to respond to new developments and domains in warfare, 

such as cyber operations, and, as such, new challenges do 

not undermine the importance or relevance of the Geneva 

Conventions or the law of armed conflict, but rather call 

for reaffirming, applying, and ensuring compliance with 

the Geneva Conventions and the law of armed conflict; 


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Whereas the United States Government should strive to ensure 

that our counterterrorism measures do not hinder the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance; 

Whereas the United States has a long tradition of implementing and upholding the Geneva Conventions, not just 

as a matter of legal obligation but also because demonstrating respect for human life and protecting the vulnerable reflects the best traditions of a professional military force; 

Whereas senior leaders in the United States Armed Forces 

often publicly recognize that minimizing civilian harm is 

central to mission effectiveness and therefore serves the national security interests of the United States; and 

Whereas, as long as armed conflict remains a reality, there 

must also be a limit to human suffering, as outlined 70 

years ago in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which 

set out these limits: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) upon the 70th anniversary of the four Gene3 va Conventions of 1949, respect for international 

4 humanitarian law (IHL) remains critical to uphold5 ing humanity in war, protecting people affected by 

6 war, and preventing suffering; 

7 (2) the Executive branch and Congress must 

8 ensure that the United States Government, as the 

9 largest donor of lifesaving humanitarian aid— 

10 (A) does not employ counterterrorism 

11 measures or other sanctions that unduly impede 


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1 lifesaving humanitarian action and thereby 

2 jeopardize vulnerable people’s access to re3 sources critical to their survival; and 

4 (B) upholds the longstanding United 

5 States commitment to supporting principled hu6 manitarian action; and 

7 (3) the United States must continue to be a 

8 global leader in promoting and ensuring compliance 

9 with IHL by upholding high standards of conduct 

10 within the United States Armed Forces, taking 

11 stronger measures to ensure compliance with IHL 

12 by United States security partners, holding perpetra13 tors of violations of IHL accountable, and seeking 

14 compliance with IHL by all parties to armed con15 flict. 

16 That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

17 (1) upon the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva 

18 Conventions of 1949, demonstrating continuing re19 spect for such conventions remains critical to uphold20 ing humanity in war, protecting people affected by 

21 war, and preventing human suffering; 

22 (2) the Executive branch and Congress must en23 sure that the United States Government, as the largest 

24 donor of lifesaving humanitarian aid— 


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1 (A) works to overcome policies and actions 

2 that unduly impede lifesaving humanitarian ac3 cess and thereby jeopardize vulnerable people’s 

4 access to resources critical to their survival; and 

5 (B) upholds the longstanding United States 

6 commitment to supporting principled humani7 tarian action; and 

8 (3) the United States must continue to be a glob9 al leader in promoting and ensuring compliance with 

10 the Geneva Conventions by upholding high standards 

11 of conduct within the United States Armed Forces, 

12 taking strong measures to ensure compliance with the 

13 Geneva Conventions by United States security part14 ners, holding perpetrators of violations of the Geneva 

15 Conventions accountable, and seeking compliance 

16 with the Geneva Conventions by all parties to armed 

17 conflict. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A resolution marking 

the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 

1949, which form a pillar of the law of armed conflict 

and international humanitarian law and serves as a reminder of the importance and continued relevance of 

these conventions in a world with proliferating and protracted armed conflicts, unprecedented displacement, and 

immense suffering.’’. 


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Calendar No. 146 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 206 

RESOLUTION 

Marking the 70th anniversary of the four Geneva 

curity partners. law in current conflicts, particularly with its segreater respect for international humanitarian couraging United States leadership in ensuring tarian law on contemporary battlefields, and ensignificant violations of international humaniConventions of 1949, expressing concern about 

JULY 15, 2019 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 


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