European Parliament resolution on support for the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and international humanitarian law
Date: 2000-03-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: human rights, international human rights law, protection of freedoms

29.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 377/335

Thursday 16 March 2000

6. 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions

B5-0233, 0234 and 0235/2000

European Parliament resolution on support for the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and
international humanitarian law

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 14 April 1989 (1) on international humanitarian law and support for

the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),

(cid:1) having regard to the statement the Presidency made last year on behalf of the European Union on the
occasion of the 50th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions, which seek to limit human suffer-
ing in times of armed conflict and to avert atrocities,

A. whereas the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, together with the Additional Protocols of 1977, form
the basis for international humanitarian law applicable in time of armed conflict, whether interna-
tional or internal,

B. whereas these humanitarian law conventions are today more topical than ever, and their enforcement

calls for constant work and attention,

C. whereas each of the 15 European Union Member States, in ratifying these Conventions, has under-

taken to ‘respect and ensure respect for’ international humanitarian law,

D. whereas humanitarian values as defined in the four 1949 Conventions should guide the action of the

European Union in situations covered by the 1949 Geneva Conventions,

E.

having regard to the mandate conferred by the 1949 Conventions on the International Committee of
the Red Cross and to its role as a neutral and impartial international body in promoting and safe-
guarding international humanitarian law,

Calls on the Member States to promote the values enshrined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and
1.
the Additional Protocols of 1977, as well as awareness of international humanitarian law on the part of
civil society and, in particular, the institutions and agents responsible for its direct application, especially
members of the armed forces and security forces;

Urges the Commission and the Member States to support education programmes and specific infor-
2.
mation and action campaigns seeking to promote the elementary principles of international humanitarian
law contained in the four Geneva Conventions;

Calls on the Member States to adopt and improve national measures to enforce international huma-

3.
nitarian law;

Urges the Council to bear in mind the standards and principles of international humanitarian law,

4.
most of all in the decisions it takes and in activities relating to the CFSP;

5.
Calls on all countries which have not yet done so to ratify the four 1949 Geneva Conventions, their
two 1977 Additional Protocols and the other treaties of international humanitarian law, particularly the
Ottawa Convention prohibiting anti-personnel mines and the statute of the International Criminal Court;

Calls on the Council and Commission to ensure that cooperation with third countries operates on
6.
the basis of respect for the four Geneva Conventions, the Ottawa Convention and the statute of the Inter-
national Criminal Court;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
7.
and parliaments of the Member States, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Secretary-
General of the United Nations.

(1) OJ C 120, 16.5.1989, p. 342.