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Protocol III is a 2005 amendment protocol to the
Article 2 of this brief protocol recognizes an additional distinctive emblem, the Red Crystal, that may be used in addition to, and for the same purposes as, the Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols. All three emblems are appointed the same legal status.
There are two distinct uses that are recognized for all three emblems:
* Protective use. Medical and religious personnel may mark themselves, their vehicles, ships and buildings as a sign of their humanitarian mission and protected status under the
Committee of the Red Cross: Full text of Protocol III with commentariesList of countries that have ratified Protocol IIIList of countries that have signed but not yet ratified Protocol IIIPress release from the International Committee of the Red Cross welcoming the signing of Protocol III
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protocol Iii Geneva Conventions Treaties concluded in 2005 Treaties entered into force in 2007 Treaties of Albania Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Armenia Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of Belarus Treaties of Belize Treaties of Brazil Treaties of Bulgaria Treaties of Canada Treaties of Chile Treaties of the Cook Islands Treaties of Costa Rica Treaties of Croatia Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Denmark Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of El Salvador Treaties of Estonia Treaties of Fiji Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Georgia (country) Treaties of Germany Treaties of Greece Treaties of Guatemala Treaties of Guyana Treaties of Honduras Treaties of Hungary Treaties of Iceland Treaties of Israel Treaties of Italy Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kenya Treaties of Latvia Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Lithuania Treaties of North Macedonia Treaties of Mexico Treaties of Moldova Treaties of Monaco Treaties of Nauru Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of New Zealand Treaties of Nicaragua Treaties of Norway Treaties of Palestine Treaties of Panama Treaties of Paraguay Treaties of the Philippines Treaties of Poland Treaties of Portugal Treaties of San Marino Treaties of Serbia Treaties of Singapore Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of South Sudan Treaties of Spain Treaties of Suriname Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Timor-Leste Treaties of Uganda Treaties of Ukraine Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States Treaties of Uruguay Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles Treaties extended to Aruba Treaties extended to Anguilla Treaties extended to Guernsey Treaties extended to Bermuda Treaties extended to the British Antarctic Territory Treaties extended to the British Indian Ocean Territory Treaties extended to the British Virgin Islands Treaties extended to the Cayman Islands Treaties extended to the Falkland Islands Treaties extended to the Isle of Man Treaties extended to Montserrat Treaties extended to the Pitcairn Islands Treaties extended to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Treaties extended to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Treaties extended to the Turks and Caicos Islands Treaties extended to Akrotiri and Dhekelia Treaties extended to Jersey Treaties concluded in Geneva
Protocol III is a 2005 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions
upright=1.15, The original document in single pages, 1864
The Geneva Conventions are international humanitarian laws consisting of four treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian t ...
relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. Under the protocol, the protective sign of the Red Crystal may be displayed by medical and religious personnel at times of war, instead of the traditional Red Cross or Red Crescent symbols. People displaying any of these protective emblems are performing a humanitarian service and must be protected by all parties to the conflict.
History
By the middle of the 19th century, modern warfare had become increasingly indiscriminate. It was not uncommon for acombat medic
A combat medic is responsible for providing emergency medicine, emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illnes ...
on the field of battle to be fired upon and to die while collecting and caring for the wounded. There was a growing recognition of the need to distinguish medical personnel from combatants, to make it easier for military commanders to avoid and protect them. Allowing each country to develop its own emblem would have led to confusion. What was needed to save lives was a single neutral emblem that all countries recognized and used equally.
The 1864 Geneva Convention establishes that a distinctive emblem should be worn by medical personnel on the field of battle as an indication of their humanitarian mission and their non-combatant status. At that time, the chosen symbol was a red cross on a white background. Muslim nations have objected to this symbol due to its resemblance to the Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as representing the crucifixion of Jesus, is a religious symbol, symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix, a cross that includes a ''corpus'' (a representation of Jesus' body, usually three-dimensional) a ...
. As early as 1876, the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
introduced the Red Crescent as an alternative, less Christian emblem. Additional emblems have been proposed, including the red lion and sun of Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, the double emblem (both the red cross and red crescent together) by the Red Cross Society of Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
, and the red Star of David
The Star of David (, , ) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the Seal of Solomon was used for decora ...
by Magen David Adom of Israel.
Over time the adoption of a single, universal emblem has been met with two recurrent difficulties:
* They may be perceived as having religious, cultural or political connotations. This perception conflicts with neutral, humanitarian status of medical personnel in armed conflicts.
* These emblems are tied to membership in the National Societies. Members are required to use the red cross or red crescent emblem. Since Magen David Adom was unwilling to give up their red Star of David
The Star of David (, , ) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the Seal of Solomon was used for decora ...
, they were not granted membership. Without membership, they were not eligible for certain protections under the Geneva Conventions
upright=1.15, The original document in single pages, 1864
The Geneva Conventions are international humanitarian laws consisting of four treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian t ...
.
In 2005, an international delegation finally achieved a comprehensive solution to these difficulties with the adoption of Protocol III. Magen David Adom is granted protections under the Geneva Conventions as long as they display the Red Crystal in the context of international conflict. As of July 2024, Protocol III has been ratified
Ratification is a principal's legal confirmation of an act of its agent. In international law, ratification is the process by which a state declares its consent to be bound to a treaty. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usuall ...
or acceded to by 79 countries and signed by a further 20. The treaty came into force on 14 January 2007.
Governing rules
Article 2 of this brief protocol recognizes an additional distinctive emblem, the Red Crystal, that may be used in addition to, and for the same purposes as, the Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols. All three emblems are appointed the same legal status.
There are two distinct uses that are recognized for all three emblems:
* Protective use. Medical and religious personnel may mark themselves, their vehicles, ships and buildings as a sign of their humanitarian mission and protected status under the Geneva Conventions
upright=1.15, The original document in single pages, 1864
The Geneva Conventions are international humanitarian laws consisting of four treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian t ...
, particularly the First Geneva Convention
The First Geneva Convention, officially the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field (), held on 22 August 1864, is the first of four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It defines "the basis on whic ...
. The protections of the Geneva Convention do not depend on the wearing of the emblem. The emblems are merely a ''visible sign'' of the protected status of individuals. Members of the armed forces may use these markings at all times. Civilian institutions such as hospitals may use these markings temporarily, within the context of an armed conflict.
* Indicative use. Members of the movement may wear the emblems in both times of conflict and times of peace as an indication of their membership.
Misuse of these emblems is prohibited by international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
. Misuse may diminish their protective value and undermine the effectiveness of humanitarian workers. Use of one of the emblems to protect combatants and military equipment with the intent of misleading an adversary is perfidy and is considered a war crime
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...
.
See also
* List of parties to the Geneva Conventions: includes a list of states that signed and a list of states that have ratified Protocol III *Protocol I
Protocol I (also Additional Protocol I and AP I) is a 1977 amendment Protocol (diplomacy), protocol to the Geneva Conventions concerning the protection of civilian casualty, civilian victims of international war, including "armed conflicts in ...
, a 1977 amendment adopted addressing the protection of victims in ''international'' conflicts.
* Protocol II, a 1977 amendment adopted relating to the protection of victims of ''non-international'' armed conflicts.
References
External links
Committee of the Red Cross: Full text of Protocol III with commentaries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protocol Iii Geneva Conventions Treaties concluded in 2005 Treaties entered into force in 2007 Treaties of Albania Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Armenia Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of Belarus Treaties of Belize Treaties of Brazil Treaties of Bulgaria Treaties of Canada Treaties of Chile Treaties of the Cook Islands Treaties of Costa Rica Treaties of Croatia Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Denmark Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of El Salvador Treaties of Estonia Treaties of Fiji Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Georgia (country) Treaties of Germany Treaties of Greece Treaties of Guatemala Treaties of Guyana Treaties of Honduras Treaties of Hungary Treaties of Iceland Treaties of Israel Treaties of Italy Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kenya Treaties of Latvia Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Lithuania Treaties of North Macedonia Treaties of Mexico Treaties of Moldova Treaties of Monaco Treaties of Nauru Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of New Zealand Treaties of Nicaragua Treaties of Norway Treaties of Palestine Treaties of Panama Treaties of Paraguay Treaties of the Philippines Treaties of Poland Treaties of Portugal Treaties of San Marino Treaties of Serbia Treaties of Singapore Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of South Sudan Treaties of Spain Treaties of Suriname Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Timor-Leste Treaties of Uganda Treaties of Ukraine Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States Treaties of Uruguay Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles Treaties extended to Aruba Treaties extended to Anguilla Treaties extended to Guernsey Treaties extended to Bermuda Treaties extended to the British Antarctic Territory Treaties extended to the British Indian Ocean Territory Treaties extended to the British Virgin Islands Treaties extended to the Cayman Islands Treaties extended to the Falkland Islands Treaties extended to the Isle of Man Treaties extended to Montserrat Treaties extended to the Pitcairn Islands Treaties extended to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Treaties extended to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Treaties extended to the Turks and Caicos Islands Treaties extended to Akrotiri and Dhekelia Treaties extended to Jersey Treaties concluded in Geneva