World War ii was the greatest war in history with respect to its geographical reach, state participation and casualties, two-thirds of whom were civilians. To safeguard wounded and sick, prisoners of war (pows) and civilians during the war, the four Geneva Conventions were adopted almost 70 years ago, on 12 August 1949. They are the most widely ratified treaties in history. The four Geneva Conventions have been backed by three Additional Protocols. The first Protocol relates to protection of victims of international armed conflicts, the second to protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts and the third to the adoption of an additional distinctive emblem, the Red Crystal. The Conventions and Protocols put forward robust standards, keeping in view the terror faced by a large number of people following World War ii. In addition, they are accepted as the foundational to the conduct of the international community. The protection of human rights is the essence of the Conventions. Therefore, we have decided to publish a book entitled Revisiting the Geneva Conventions: 1949–2019. Our heartfelt thanks are due to our contributing authors for their excellent and insightful chapters. We are indebted to Raul C. Pangalangan, Judge, International Criminal Court, for writing the wonderful foreword to this book. We also thank Lindy Melman and Bea Timmer of Martinus Nijhoff Publishers for their support and encouragement to bring out this timely book.
The book presents a critical review of the development of international humanitarian law (ihl); the protection of the injured, sick and shipwrecked, prisoners of war (pows) and civilians during times of war; and the prevention of the forcible transfer of civilians. It also examines the four Geneva Conventions from a Third World point of view; the ideals of distinction, proportionality and precautions from the point of view of Islamic law; and the issues faced in implementing ihl. The book will be of interest to a wide audience, including scholars, academics, students, professionals in humanitarian security in the field, and military officials.
Md Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan
Borhan Uddin Khan