The Geneva Conventions is a term used to collectively refer to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 along with their two optional protocols (Additional Protocols I and II), which form the core of international humanitarian law and establish international legal standards for the treatment of non-combatants in war. Negotiated in the aftermath of the World War II, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 consist of four agreements, which replaced three earlier humanitarian conventions of 1906 and 1929 and added two new conventions. The First Geneva Convention addresses the treatment of sick and wounded field soldiers, Second Geneva Convention addresses the treatment of sick and wounded sailors, Third Geneva Convention addresses the treatment of prisoners of war, and Fourth Geneva Convention addresses the treatment of civilians during armed conflict.
Aside from the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions are among the most widely ratified international agreements. The 1949 conventions were ratified, in their entirety or with reservations, by 196 countries. Much of the international humanitarian law contained in the Geneva Conventions has become customary international law, and therefore would apply to all states and non-state armed groups, even those that are not a party to the Geneva Conventions. The legal obligations created under the Geneva Conventions are somewhat different from other international treaties in that a breach of the Geneva Conventions by one party does not furnish a directly affected party with the option to cease complying with its treaty obligations.
