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Annan's plea for fair warfare

The International Red Cross has warned there is growing evidence that the conventions are being violated throughout the world's conflict zones.

The Geneva Conventions aim to limit the suffering and barbarity of war.

They are the most widely ratified treaties in the world. Every country, apart from Eritrea, has signed them.

Created in 1949, they cover the treatment of prisoners of war, the wounded on the battlefield and at sea, and the protection of civilians.

Wars marked by new savagery

But over the last 50 years non-combatants have been increasingly targeted.

During the recent Balkan wars, the conventions were consistently violated.

Some legal experts have even argued that Nato breached them by using excessive force in its bombing missions over Serbia.

The President of the Red Cross, Cornelio Sommarruga, is concerned that some governments and organisations do not regard the conventions as important: "For the most part the wars of the 1990s are marked by chaos and savagery," he said.

"New ways have to be found and efforts have to be intensified to keep the worst horrors of war at bay and to ensure that victims of conflict can preserve their dignity."

The Red Cross has the task of seeing the conventions are implemented. But it has no powers of enforcement, only persuasion.

Conventions lack teeth

A key weakness is the lack of an international criminal court to prosecute those who violate the conventions.

Currently, if countries breach the conventions they are meant to prosecute the perpetrators in their own courts. This is rarely done.

Georges Abu-Saab, a Professor of International Law in Geneva, said: "If we had an international tribunal which would effectively pursue the perpetrators whichever side they are on, then the conventions would be more effective."

The Red Cross supports the idea of an international court, but accepts that in political reality it will not happen for at least five years, if at all.

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Internet Links

International Committee of the Red Cross
The Geneva Conventions

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