{{short description|1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions}} {{redirect|Geneva Protocol II|other topics|Geneva Protocol (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox treaty | name = Geneva Conventions Protocol II | long_name = Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II) | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | type = Protocol | context = | date_drafted = 20 February 1974 – 8 June 1977 | date_signed = {{Start date|df=y|1977|06|08}} | location_signed = Geneva | date_effective = {{Start date|df=y|1978|12|07}} | condition_effective = Six months after two instruments ratification or accession were deposited | signatories = {{Collapsible list | expand = | title = 3 States<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/States.xsp?xp_viewStates=XPages_NORMStatesSign&xp_treatySelected=475 |title=Signatory States |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=International Committee of the Red Cross |access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref> | bullets = | {{flagcountry|Iran|name=Islamic Republic of Iran}} | {{flagcountry|Pakistan}} | {{flagcountry|USA|name=United States of America}} | }} | parties = {{Collapsible list | expand = | title = 170 States<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/States.xsp?xp_viewStates=XPages_NORMStatesParties&xp_treatySelected=475|title=States Parties|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=International Committee of the Red Cross |access-date=1 July 2020}}</ref> | bullets = | {{flagcountry|Afghanistan}} | {{flagcountry|Albania}} | {{flagcountry|Algeria}} | {{flagcountry|Andorra}} | {{flagcountry|Angola}} | {{flagcountry|Antigua and Barbuda}} | {{flagcountry|Argentina}} | {{flagcountry|Armenia}} | {{flagcountry|Australia}} | {{flagcountry|Austria}} | {{flagcountry|Bahamas}} | {{flagcountry|Bahrain}} | {{flagcountry|Bangladesh}} | {{flagcountry|Barbados}} | {{flagcountry|Belarus}} | {{flagcountry|Belgium}} | {{flagcountry|Belize}} | {{flagcountry|Benin}} | {{flagcountry|Bolivia}} | {{flagcountry|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} | {{flagcountry|Botswana}} | {{flagcountry|Brazil}} | {{flagcountry|Brunei|name=Brunei Darussalam}} | {{flagcountry|Bulgaria}} | {{flagcountry|Burkina Faso}} | {{flagcountry|Burundi}} | {{flagcountry|Cape Verde|name=Cabo Verde}} | {{flagcountry|Cambodia}} | {{flagcountry|Cameroon}} | {{flagcountry|Canada}} | {{flagcountry|Central African Republic}} | {{flagcountry|Chad}} | {{flagcountry|Chile}} | {{flagcountry|China}} | {{flagcountry|Colombia}} | {{flagcountry|Comoros}} | {{flagcountry|Congo}} | {{flagcountry|Costa Rica}} | {{flagcountry|Ivory Coast|name=Côte d'Ivoire}} | {{flagcountry|Croatia}} | {{flagcountry|Cuba}} | {{flagcountry|Cyprus}} | {{flagcountry|Czech Republic}} | {{flagcountry|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} | {{flagcountry|Denmark}} | {{flagcountry|Djibouti}} | {{flagcountry|Dominica}} | {{flagcountry|Dominican Republic}} | {{flagcountry|Ecuador}} | {{flagcountry|Egypt}} | {{flagcountry|El Salvador}} | {{flagcountry|Equatorial Guinea}} | {{flagcountry|Estonia}} | {{flagcountry|Eswatini}} | {{flagcountry|Ethiopia}} | {{flagcountry|Fiji}} | {{flagcountry|Finland}} | {{flagcountry|France}} | {{flagcountry|Gabon}} | {{flagcountry|Gambia}} | {{flagcountry|Georgia}} | {{flagcountry|Germany}} | {{flagcountry|Ghana}} | {{flagcountry|Greece}} | {{flagcountry|Grenada}} | {{flagcountry|Guatemala}} | {{flagcountry|Guinea}} |{{flagcountry|Guinea-Bissau}} | {{flagcountry|Guyana}} | {{flagcountry|Haiti}} | {{flagcountry|Holy See}} | {{flagcountry|Honduras}} | {{flagcountry|Hungary}} | {{flagcountry|Iceland}} | {{flagcountry|Ireland}} | {{flagcountry|Italy}} | {{flagcountry|Jamaica}} | {{flagcountry|Japan}} | {{flagcountry|Jordan}} | {{flagcountry|Kazakhstan}} | {{flagcountry|Kenya}} | {{flagcountry|Kuwait}} | {{flagcountry|Kyrgyzstan}} | {{flagcountry|Laos|name=Lao People's Democratic Republic}} | {{flagcountry|Latvia}} | {{flagcountry|Lebanon}} | {{flagcountry|Lesotho}} | {{flagcountry|Liberia}} | {{flagcountry|Libya}} | {{flagcountry|Liechtenstein}} | {{flagcountry|Lithuania}} | {{flagcountry|Luxembourg}} | {{flagcountry|Madagascar}} | {{flagcountry|Malawi}} | {{flagcountry|Maldives}} | {{flagcountry|Mali}} | {{flagcountry|Malta}} | {{flagcountry|Mauritania}} | {{flagcountry|Mauritius}} | {{flagcountry|Micronesia|name=Micronesia (Federated States of)}} | {{flagcountry|Monaco}} | {{flagcountry|Mongolia}} | {{flagcountry|Montenegro}} | {{flagcountry|Morocco}} | {{flagcountry|Mozambique}} | {{flagcountry|Namibia}} | {{flagcountry|Nauru}} | {{flagcountry|Netherlands}} | {{flagcountry|New Zealand}} | {{flagcountry|Nicaragua}} | {{flagcountry|Niger}} | {{flagcountry|Nigeria}} | {{flagcountry|North Macedonia}} | {{flagcountry|Norway}} | {{flagcountry|Oman}} | {{flagcountry|Palau}} | {{flagcountry|Palestine}} | {{flagcountry|Panama}} | {{flagcountry|Paraguay}} | {{flagcountry|Peru}} | {{flagcountry|Philippines}} | {{flagcountry|Poland}} | {{flagcountry|Portugal}} | {{flagcountry|Qatar}} | {{flagdeco|Republic of Korea}} Republic of Korea | {{flagcountry|Moldova|name=Republic of Moldova}} | {{flagcountry|Romania}} | {{flagcountry|Russia|name=Russian Federation}} | {{flagcountry|Rwanda}} | {{flagcountry|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} | {{flagcountry|Saint Lucia}} | {{flagcountry|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}} | {{flagcountry|Samoa}} | {{flagcountry|San Marino}} | {{flagcountry|Sao Tome and Principe}} | {{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}} | {{flagcountry|Senegal}} | {{flagcountry|Serbia}} | {{flagcountry|Seychelles}} | {{flagcountry|Sierra Leone}} | {{flagcountry|Slovakia}} | {{flagcountry|Slovenia}} | {{flagcountry|Solomon Islands}} | {{flagcountry|South Africa}} | {{flagcountry|South Sudan}} | {{flagcountry|Spain}} | {{flagcountry|Sudan}} | {{flagcountry|Suriname}} | {{flagcountry|Sweden}} | {{flagcountry|Switzerland}} | {{flagcountry|Tajikistan}} | {{flagcountry|Timor-Leste}} | {{flagcountry|Togo}} | {{flagcountry|Tonga}} | {{flagcountry|Trinidad and Tobago}} | {{flagcountry|Tunisia}} | {{flagcountry|Turkmenistan}} | {{flagcountry|Uganda}} | {{flagcountry|Ukraine}} | {{flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}} | {{flagcountry|UK|name=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland}} | {{flagcountry|Tanzania|name=United Republic of Tanzania}} | {{flagcountry|Uruguay}} | {{flagcountry|Uzbekistan}} | {{flagcountry|Vanuatu}} | {{flagcountry|Venezuela}} | {{flagcountry|Yemen}} | {{flagcountry|Zambia}} | {{flagcountry|Zimbabwe}} | }} | depositor = Swiss Federal Council | languages = English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian | wikisource = Geneva Convention/Protocol II | footnotes = }}
thumb|right|260px|A map showing the current status of Protocol by country, as of July 2025: {{legend|#008000|State parties (170)}} {{legend|#b3d9b3|State signatories (3)}} {{legend|#e0e0e0|Neither}}
'''Protocol II''' (also '''Additional Protocol II''' or '''AP II''') is a 1977 amendment or optional protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.{{cn|reason=The language of the treaty seems to define a rebellion or civil war, not a broader NIAC|date=November 2025}} It defines certain international laws that strive to provide better protection for victims of ''internal'' armed conflicts that take place within the borders of a single country. The scope of these laws is more limited than those of the rest of the Geneva Conventions out of respect for sovereign rights and duties of national governments.
As of July 2025, the Protocol had been ratified by 170 countries, with the United States, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel being notable exceptions. However, the United States, Iran, and Pakistan signed it on 12 December 1977, which signifies an intention to work towards ratifying it.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/apii-1977?activeTab=1949GCs-APs-and-commentaries | title = Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977 | publisher = International Committee of the Red Cross}}</ref> The Iranian signature was given prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
According to legal scholar and human rights attorney Noura Erakat, the Israeli non-ratification of Protocol I and II to the Geneva Conventions allows the Israeli government to recognize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict <nowiki>''</nowiki>neither as a civil war ('non-international armed conflict,' NIAC) nor a war against a liberation movement ('international armed conflict,' IAC).<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Erakat |first=Noura |url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13221372 |title=Justice for some: law and the question of Palestine |date=2019 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=978-0-8047-9825-9 |location=Stanford, California |pages=179}}</ref> This way, force used by Palestinian factions can be deemed illegal and illegitimate.<ref name=":0" />
Some, but not all, of the provisions of the 1977 Additional Protocol II, “have obtained recognition as customary law.”<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cryer|first1=Robert|title=An introduction to international criminal law and procedure|last2=Friman|first2=Håkan|last3=Robinson|first3=Darryl|last4=Wilmshurst|first4=Elizabeth|date=2014|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-69883-3|edition=Third|location=Cambridge|pages=265}}</ref><ref>Theodor Meron, ''Human Rights and Humanitarian Norms as Customary Law'' (Oxford, 1999), 41–62.</ref>
== Overview == Historically, international law of armed conflict addressed traditional declarations of war between nations. When the Geneva Conventions were updated in 1949 after the Second World War, delegates sought to define certain minimum humanitarian standards to situations that had all the characteristics of war, without being an international war.<ref name=pictet>{{cite book | last = Pictet | first = Jean | title = Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949: Commentary | publisher = International Committee of the Red Cross | year = 1958 | url =https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/Geneva_conventions-1949.html | access-date = 6 August 2009}}</ref>
These negotiations resulted in Article 3, common to all four of the basic treaties of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Common Article 3 applies to armed conflicts that are not of an ''international'' character, but that are contained within the boundaries of a single country. It provides limited protection to victims, including: * Persons taking no active part in hostilities should be treated humanely (including military persons who have ceased to be active as a result of sickness, injury, or detention). * The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. By the 1970s, diplomats were attempting to negotiate clarifications to the brief language of Article 3, and to extend the scope of international law to cover additional humanitarian rights in the context of internal conflicts. These efforts resulted in Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions. The debate over this protocol centered on two conflicting ideas.<ref>{{cite book | last = Levie | first = Howard | title = The Law of non-international armed conflict: Protocol II to the 1949 Geneva convention | publisher = Martinus Nijhoff Publishers | year = 1987 | isbn = 9024734916 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=J8DSgTxtPxIC | access-date = 6 August 2009}}</ref> First, that the distinction between internal and international armed conflict is artificial from the point of view of a victim. Humanitarian principles should apply regardless of the identity of the combatants. Second, that international law does not apply to non-international situations. A nation has sovereignty within its borders, and must not accept judgments by and orders from other countries. And Article 6, section 2, also prohibits collective punishment.
== See also == * Geneva Conventions * Third Geneva Convention, on the treatment of prisoners of war * Fourth Geneva Convention, on the treatment of civilians during wartime * Protocol I, a 1977 amendment adopted addressing the protection of victims in ''international'' conflicts * Protocol III, a 2005 amendment adopted specifying the adoption of the Red Crystal emblem * List of parties to the Geneva Conventions: includes a list of states that signed and a list of states that have ratified Protocol II * Law of war, also known as international humanitarian law * Distinction (law), the principle of distinction between combatants and civilians in armed conflict
== References == {{Reflist|35em}}
== External links == {{Wikisource|1=Geneva Convention/Protocol II|2=Protocol II}} *[http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/7c4d08d9b287a42141256739003e636b/d67c3971bcff1c10c125641e0052b545 Committee of the Red Cross: Full text of Protocol II with commentaries] *[https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/apii-1977/state-parties?activeTab=default List of countries that have signed or ratified Protocol II] *[http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/section_review_1997_320?OpenDocument International Review of the Red Cross, 1997 – No. 320] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012232344/http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/section_review_1997_320?OpenDocument |date=12 October 2004 }} Special issue: 20th anniversary of the 1977 Additional Protocols * [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1987/012987b.htm President Reagan's message to the Senate on Protocols I & II] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307114731/https://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1987/012987b.htm |date=7 March 2016 }}
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