Sixth Committee (Legal) — 79th session
Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts (Agenda item 81)
Draft resolution? was adopted without a vote at the 38th meeting on 22 November 2024. The Committee thus concluded its consideration of agenda item 81.
- Authority:
Documentation
- — Report of the Secretary-General
- — Draft resolution
Summary of work
Background (source: )
The item entitled “State of signatures and ratifications of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I) and the protection of victims of non?international armed conflicts (Protocol II)” was included in the agenda of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly at the request of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden ().
At its thirty-seventh session, the Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-ninth session an item entitled “Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts: report of the Secretary-General” (resolution ). The Assembly had the item on its agenda biennially at its thirty-ninth to forty-fifth sessions (resolutions , , and ).
At its forty-fifth session, the Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-seventh session an item entitled “Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts” (resolution ). The Assembly has had the item on its agenda biennially since then (resolutions , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and ).
At its seventy-seventh session, the Assembly allocated the item to the Sixth Committee, where statements in the debate were made by 32 delegations (see -). The Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit to it at its seventy-ninth session a report on the status of the Additional Protocols relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts, as well as on measures taken to strengthen the existing body of international humanitarian law, including with respect to its dissemination and full implementation at the national level, based on information received from Member States and the International Committee of the Red Cross (resolution ).
Archived videos and summaries of plenary meetings
(5 November 2024, 10:00am – 1:00pm) | Summary
(6 November 2024, 10:00am – 11:30am) | Summary
(22 November 2024, 10:00am – 1:00pm) | Summary
Subsequent action taken by the General Assembly
- Report of the Sixth Committee:
- GA resolution: 79/123
Full texts of submissions ()
| State | Original submission | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | English | |
| Azerbaijan | English | |
| Belgium | French | |
| Burkina Faso | French | |
| Cabo Verde | Spanish | English |
| Colombia | Spanish | |
| Czech Republic | English | |
| El Salvador | Spanish | |
| Guatemala | Spanish | |
| Ireland | English | |
| Italy | English | |
| Niger | French | |
| Peru | Spanish | |
| Poland | English | |
| Saudi Arabia | Arabic | English |
| Senegal | French | |
| Slovenia | English | |
| Switzerland | French | |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | English | |
| Observer | Original submission | Translation |
| ICRC | English | |
