The Geneva Conventions

Geneva Conventions

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...

 consist of seven individual treaties

Treaty

A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...

 which are open to ratification

Ratification

Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent where the agent lacked authority to legally bind the principal. The term applies to private contract law, international treaties, and constitutionals in federations such as the United States and Canada.- Private law :In contract law, the...

 or accession

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is a treaty concerning the international law on treaties between states. It was adopted on 22 May 1969 and opened for signature on 23 May 1969. The Convention entered into force on 27 January 1980. The VCLT has been ratified by 111 states as of November...

 by any sovereign state

Sovereign state

A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...

. Below is a list of state parties to the Geneva Conventions.

Member state	GC I–IV Geneva Conventions The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...	Protocol I Protocol I Protocol I is a 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. It reaffirms the international laws of the original Geneva Conventions of 1949, but adds clarifications and new provisions to accommodate developments in modern...	Protocol II Protocol II Protocol II is a 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts. It defines certain international laws that strive to provide better protection for victims of internal armed conflicts that take place within the borders...	Protocol III Protocol III Protocol III is a 2005 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. This protective sign may be displayed by medical and religious personnel at times of war, instead of the traditional Red Cross or Red Crescent symbols...	Notes
Afghanistan	1956	2009	2009	—
Albania	1957	1993	1993	2008
Algeria	1960	1989	1989	—
Andorra	1993	—	—	—
Angola	1984	1984	—	S
Antigua and Barbuda	1986	1986	1986	—
Argentina	1956	1986	1986	2011
Armenia	1993	1993	1993	—
Australia	1958	1991	1991	2009
Austria	1953	1982	1982	2009
Azerbaijan	1993	—	—	—
The Bahamas	1975	1980	1980	—
Bahrain	1971	1986	1986	—
Bangladesh	1972	1980	1980	—
Barbados	1968	1990	1990	—
Belarus	1954	1989	1989	2011
Belgium	1952	1986	1986	S
Belize	1984	1984	1984	2007
Benin	1961	1986	1986	—
Bhutan	1991	—	—	—
Bolivia	1976	1992	1983	S
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1992	1992	1992	S
Botswana	1968	1979	1979	—
Brazil	1957	1992	1992	2009
Brunei	1991	1991	1991	—
Kingdom of Bulgaria	1954	1989	1989	2006
Burkina Faso	1961	1987	1987	S
Burundi	1971	1993	1993	S
Cambodia	1958	1998	1998	—
Cameroon	1963	1984	1984	—
Canada	1965	1990	1990	2007
Cape Verde	1984	1995	1995	S
Central African Republic	1966	1984	1984	—
Chad	1970	1997	1997	—
Chile	1950	1991	1991	2008
Mainland China	1956	1983	1983	—	Macau was declared by China to be covered by its ratification from 20 December 1999. There is no such declaration over  Hong Kong, where the corresponding British declaration is not in effect since 1 July 1997.
Colombia	1961	1993	1995	S
Comoros	1985	1985	1985	—
Democratic Republic of the Congo	1961	1982	2002	—
Republic of the Congo	1967	1983	1983	S
Cook Islands	2002	2002	2002	—
Costa Rica	1969	1983	1983	2008
Côte d'Ivoire	1961	1989	1989	—
Independent State of Croatia	1992	1992	1992	2007
Cuba	1954	1982	1999	—
Cyprus	1962	1979	1996	2007
Czech Republic	1993	1993	1993	2007
Denmark	1951	1982	1982	2007
Djibouti	1978	1991	1991	—
Dominica	1981	1996	1996	—
	1958	1994	1994	2009
East Timor	2003	2005	2005	S
Ecuador	1954	1979	1979	S
Egypt	1952	1992	1992	—
El Salvador	1953	1978	1978	2007
Equatorial Guinea	1986	1986	1986	—
Eritrea	2000	—	—	—
Estonia	1993	1993	1993	2008
Ethiopia	1969	1994	1994	S
Fiji	1971	2008	2008	2008
Finland	1955	1980	1980	2009
	1951	2001	1984	2009
Gabon	1965	1980	1980	—
The Gambia	1966	1989	1989	—
Georgia (country)	1993	1993	1993	2007
Germany	1954	1991	1991	2009
Ghana	1958	1978	1978	S
Greece	1956	1989	1993	2009
Grenada	1981	1998	1998	—
Guatemala	1952	1987	1987	2008
Guinea	1984	1984	1984	—
Guinea-Bissau	1974	1986	1986	—
Guyana	1968	1998	1998	2009
Haiti	1957	2006	2006	S
Holy See	1951	1985	1985	—
Honduras	1965	1995	1995	2006
Hungary	1954	1989	1989	2006
Iceland	1965	1987	1987	2006
India	1950	—	—	—
Indonesia	1958	—	—	—
Iran	1957	S	S	—
Iraq	1956	2010	—	—
Republic of Ireland	1962	1999	1999	S
Israel	1951	—	—	2007
Italy	1951	1986	1986	2009
Jamaica	1964	1986	1986	S
Japan	1953	2004	2004	—
Jordan	1951	1979	1979	—
Kazakhstan	1992	1992	1992	2009
Kenya	1966	1999	1999	S
Kiribati	1989	—	—	—
North Korea	1957	1988	—	—
South Korea	1966	1982	1982	S
Kuwait	1967	1985	1985	—
Kyrgyzstan	1992	1992	1992	—
Laos	1956	1980	1980	—
Latvia	1991	1991	1991	2007
Lebanon	1951	1997	1997	—
Lesotho	1968	1994	1994	—
Liberia	1954	1988	1988	—
Libya	1956	1978	1978	—
Liechtenstein	1950	1989	1989	2006
Lithuania	1996	2000	2000	2007
Luxembourg	1953	1989	1989	S
Republic of Macedonia	1993	1993	1993	2008
Madagascar	1963	1992	1992	S
Malawi	1968	1991	1991	—
Malaysia	1962	—	—	—
Maldives	1991	1991	1991	—
Mali	1965	1989	1989	—
Malta	1968	1989	1989	S
Marshall Islands	2004	—	—	—
Mauritania	1962	1980	1980	—
Mauritius	1970	1982	1982	—
Mexico	1952	1983	—	2008
Federated States of Micronesia	1995	1995	1995	—
Moldova	1993	1993	1993	2008
Monaco	1950	2000	2000	2007
Mongolia	1958	1995	1995	—
Kingdom of Montenegro	2006	2006	2006	—
Morocco	1956	S	S	—
Mozambique	1983	1983	2002	—
Myanmar	1992	—	—	—
Namibia	1991	1994	1994	—
Nauru	2006	2006	2006	S
Nepal	1964	—	—	S
Netherlands	1954	1987	1987	2006
New Zealand	1959	1988	1988	S	Niue has declared through statute that New Zealand's ratification of GC I–IV applies to its territory
Nicaragua	1953	1999	1999	2009
Niger	1964	1979	1979	—
Nigeria	1961	1988	1988	—
Norway	1951	1981	1981	2006
Oman	1974	1984	1984	—
Pakistan	1951	S	S	—
Palau	1996	1996	1996	—
Panama	1956	1995	1995	S
Papua New Guinea	1976	—	—	—
Paraguay	1961	1990	1990	2008
Peru	1956	1989	1989	S
Philippines	1952	S	1986	2006
Poland	1954	1991	1991	2009
Portugal	1961	1992	1992	S
Qatar	1975	1988	2005	—
Kingdom of Romania	1954	1990	1990	S
Russia	1960	1989	1989	S	Ratified GC I–IV and Protocols I and II as the  Soviet Union
Rwanda	1964	1984	1984	—
Saint Kitts and Nevis	1986	1986	1986	—
Saint Lucia	1981	1982	1982	—
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1981	1983	1983	—
Samoa	1984	1984	1984	—
San Marino	1953	1994	1994	2007
São Tomé and Príncipe	1976	1996	1996	—
Saudi Arabia	1963	1987	2001	—
Senegal	1963	1985	1985	—
Serbia	2001	2001	2001	2010
Seychelles	1984	1984	1984	—
Sierra Leone	1965	1986	1986	S
Singapore	1973	—	—	2008
Slovakia	1993	1993	1993	2007
Slovenia	1992	1992	1992	2008
Solomon Islands	1981	1988	1988	—
Somalia	1962	—	—	—
South Africa	1952	1995	1995	—
Spain	1952	1989	1989	2010
Sri Lanka	1959	—	—	—
Sudan	1957	2006	2006	—
Suriname	1976	1985	1985	—
Swaziland	1973	1995	1995	—
Sweden	1953	1979	1979	S
Switzerland	1950	1982	1982	2006
Syria	1953	1983	—	—
Tajikistan	1993	1993	1993	—
Tanzania	1962	1983	1983	S
Thailand	1954	—	—	—
Togo	1962	1984	1984	S
Tonga	1978	2003	2003	—
Trinidad and Tobago	1963	2001	2001	—
Tunisia	1957	1979	1979	—
Turkey	1954	—	—	S
Turkmenistan	1992	1992	1992	—
Tuvalu	1981	—	—	—
Uganda	1964	1991	1991	2008
Ukraine	1954	1990	1990	2010
United Arab Emirates	1972	1983	1983	—
United Kingdom	1957	1998	1998	2009
United States	1955	S	S	2007
Uruguay	1969	1985	1985	S
Uzbekistan	1993	1993	1993	—
Vanuatu	1982	1985	1985	—
Venezuela	1956	1998	1998	—
Vietnam	1957	1981	—	—
Yemen	1970	1990	1990	—
Zambia	1966	1995	1995	—
Zimbabwe	1983	1992	1992	—

Special cases: in 1958, Niue enacted the Geneva Conventions Act 1958, in which it stated that an accession to Geneva Conventions I-IV by New Zealand would apply the Conventions to the territory of Niue. New Zealand acceded to the Conventions in 1959 and the International Committee of the Red Cross

International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...

 therefore considers New Zealand's accession to cover the territory of Niue.: in 1989, the Palestine Liberation Organization

Palestine Liberation Organization

The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...

 submitted what it claimed was a letter of accession to Geneva Conventions I–IV on behalf of the State of Palestine

State of Palestine

Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...

. In response, the Swiss Federal Council

Swiss Federal Council

The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....

, which is the authority that is notified of ratifications or accessions to the treaty, stated that it was not in a position to decide whether the letter constituted a valid instrument of accession, "due to the uncertainty within the international community as to the existence or non-existence of a State of Palestine".