Treaty

Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea

PartiesParties with a link have a reservation.

Party Signature RatificationS=Signature without reservation or requirement of ratification R=Ratification, Acceptance, Approval or Notification A=Accession Su=Succession NK=Not Known Entry into force Renunciation Termination
Afghanistan 08-12-1949 26-09-1956 (R) 26-03-1957
Albania 12-12-1949 27-05-1957 (R) 27-11-1957
Algeria 20-06-1960 (A) 20-12-1960
Andorra 17-09-1993 (A) 17-03-1994
Angola 20-09-1984 (A) 20-03-1985
Antigua and Barbuda 06-10-1986 (Su) 01-11-1981
Argentina 08-12-1949 18-09-1956 (R) 18-03-1957
Armenia 07-06-1993 (A) 07-12-1993
Australia 04-01-1950 14-10-1958 (R) 14-04-1959
Austria 08-12-1949 27-08-1953 (R) 27-02-1954
Azerbaijan 01-06-1993 (A) 01-12-1993
Bahamas 11-07-1975 (Su) 10-07-1973
Bahrain 30-11-1971 (A) 30-05-1972
Bangladesh 04-04-1972 (Su) 26-03-1971
Barbados 10-09-1968 (Su) 30-11-1966
Belarus 12-12-1949 03-08-1954 (R) 03-02-1955
Belgium 08-12-1949 03-09-1952 (R) 03-03-1953
Belize 29-06-1984 (A) 29-10-1984
Benin 14-12-1961 (Su) 01-08-1960
Bhutan 10-01-1991 (A) 10-07-1991
Bolivia 08-12-1949 10-12-1976 (R) 10-06-1977
Bosnia and Herzegovina 31-12-1992 (Su) 06-03-1992
Botswana 29-03-1968 (A) 29-09-1968
Brazil 08-12-1949 29-06-1957 (R) 29-12-1957
Brunei 14-10-1991 (A) 14-04-1992
Bulgaria 28-12-1949 22-07-1954 (R) 22-01-1955
Burkina Faso 07-11-1961 (Su) 05-08-1960
Burundi 27-12-1971 (Su) 01-07-1962
Cabo Verde 11-05-1984 (A) 11-11-1984
Cambodia 08-12-1958 (A) 08-06-1959
Cameroon 16-09-1963 (Su) 01-01-1960
Canada 08-12-1949 14-05-1965 (R) 14-11-1965
Central African Republic 01-08-1966 (Su) 13-08-1960
Chad 05-08-1970 (A) 05-02-1971
Chile 12-08-1949 12-10-1950 (R) 12-04-1951
China 10-12-1949 28-12-1956 (R) 28-06-1957
Colombia 12-08-1949 08-11-1961 (R) 08-05-1962
Comoros 21-11-1985 (A) 21-05-1986
Cook Islands 07-05-2002 (Su) 11-06-2001
Costa Rica 15-10-1969 (A) 15-04-1970
Côte d'Ivoire 28-12-1961 (Su) 07-08-1960
Croatia 11-05-1992 (Su) 08-10-1991
Cuba 12-08-1949 15-04-1954 (R) 15-10-1954
Cyprus 23-05-1962 (A) 23-11-1962
Czech Republic 05-02-1993 (Su) 01-01-1993
Czechoslovakia (<01-01-1993) 08-12-1949 19-12-1950 (R) 19-06-1951
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 27-08-1957 (A) 27-02-1958
Democratic Republic of the Congo 20-02-1961 (Su) 30-06-1960
Denmark 12-08-1949 27-06-1951 (R) 27-12-1951
Djibouti 06-03-1978 (Su) 27-06-1977
Dominica 28-09-1981 (Su) 03-11-1978
Dominican Republic 22-01-1958 (A) 22-07-1958
Ecuador 12-08-1949 11-08-1954 (R) 11-02-1955
Egypt 08-12-1949 10-11-1952 (R) 10-05-1953
El Salvador 08-12-1949 17-06-1953 (R) 17-12-1953
Equatorial Guinea 24-07-1986 (A) 24-01-1987
Eritrea 14-08-2000 (A) 14-08-2000
Estonia 18-01-1993 (A) 18-07-1993
Eswatini 28-06-1973 (A) 28-12-1973
Ethiopia 08-12-1949 02-10-1969 (R) 02-04-1970
Federated States of Micronesia 19-09-1995 (A) 19-03-1996
Fiji 09-08-1971 (Su) 10-10-1970
Finland 08-12-1949 22-02-1955 (R) 22-08-1955
France 08-12-1949 28-06-1951 (R) 28-12-1951
Gabon 20-02-1965 (Su) 17-08-1960
Gambia, The 11-10-1966 (Su) 18-02-1965
Georgia 14-09-1993 (A) 14-03-1994
Germany 03-09-1954 (A) 03-03-1955
Ghana 02-08-1958 (A) 02-02-1959
Greece 22-12-1949 05-06-1956 (R) 05-12-1956
Grenada 13-04-1981 (Su) 07-02-1974
Guatemala 12-08-1949 14-05-1952 (R) 14-11-1952
Guinea 11-07-1984 (A) 11-01-1985
Guinea-Bissau 21-02-1974 (A) 21-08-1974
Guyana 22-07-1968 (Su) 26-05-1966
Haïti 11-04-1957 (A) 11-10-1957
Holy See 08-12-1949 22-02-1951 (R) 22-08-1951
Honduras 31-12-1965 (A) 30-06-1966
Hungary 08-12-1949 03-08-1954 (R) 03-02-1955
Iceland 10-08-1965 (A) 10-02-1966
India 16-12-1949 09-11-1950 (R) 09-05-1951
Indonesia 30-09-1958 (A) 30-03-1959
Iran 08-12-1949 20-02-1957 (R) 20-08-1957
Iraq 14-02-1956 (A) 14-08-1956
Ireland 19-12-1949 27-09-1962 (R) 27-03-1963
Israel 08-12-1949 06-07-1951 (R) 06-01-1952
Italy 08-12-1949 17-12-1951 (R) 17-06-1952
Jamaica 17-07-1964 (Su) 06-08-1962
Japan 21-04-1953 (A) 21-10-1953
Jordan 29-05-1951 (A) 29-11-1951
Kazakhstan 05-05-1992 (Su) 21-12-1991
Kenya 20-09-1966 (A) 20-03-1967
Kiribati 05-01-1989 (Su) 12-07-1979
Kuwait 02-09-1967 (A) 02-03-1968
Kyrgyzstan 18-09-1992 (Su) 21-12-1991
Laos 29-10-1956 (A) 29-04-1957
Latvia 24-12-1991 (A) 24-06-1992
Lebanon 08-12-1949 10-04-1951 (R) 10-10-1951
Lesotho 20-05-1968 (Su) 04-10-1966
Liberia 29-03-1954 (A) 29-09-1954
Libya 22-05-1956 (A) 22-11-1956
Liechtenstein 12-08-1949 21-09-1950 (R) 21-03-1951
Lithuania 03-10-1996 (A) 03-04-1997
Luxembourg 08-12-1949 01-07-1953 (R) 01-01-1954
Madagascar 13-07-1963 (Su) 26-06-1960
Malawi 05-01-1968 (A) 05-07-1968
Malaysia 24-08-1962 (A) 24-02-1963
Maldives 18-06-1991 (A) 18-12-1991
Mali 24-05-1965 (A) 24-11-1965
Malta 22-08-1968 (Su) 21-09-1964
Marshall Islands 01-06-2004 (A) 01-12-2004
Mauritania 27-10-1962 (Su) 28-11-1960
Mauritius 18-08-1970 (Su) 12-03-1968
Mexico 08-12-1949 29-10-1952 (R) 29-04-1953
Moldova 24-05-1993 (A) 24-11-1993
Monaco 12-08-1949 05-07-1950 (R) 05-01-1951
Mongolia 20-12-1958 (A) 20-06-1959
Montenegro 02-08-2006 (A) 02-02-2007
Morocco 26-07-1956 (A) 26-01-1957
Mozambique 14-03-1983 (A) 14-09-1983
Myanmar 25-08-1992 (A) 25-02-1993
Namibia 22-08-1991 (Su) 21-03-1990
Nauru 27-06-2006 (A) 27-12-2006
Nepal 07-02-1964 (A) 07-08-1964
Netherlands, the Kingdom of the 08-12-1949 03-08-1954 (R) 03-02-1955
New Zealand 11-02-1950 02-05-1959 (R) 02-11-1959
Nicaragua 12-08-1949 17-12-1953 (R) 17-06-1954
Niger 16-04-1964 (Su) 03-08-1960
Nigeria 09-06-1961 (Su) 01-10-1960
North Macedonia 01-09-1993 (Su) 08-09-1991
Norway 12-08-1949 03-08-1951 (R) 03-02-1952
Oman 31-01-1974 (A) 31-07-1974
Pakistan 12-08-1949 12-06-1951 (R) 12-12-1951
Palau 25-06-1996 (A) 25-12-1996
Palestine 02-04-2014 (A) 02-04-2014
Panama 10-02-1956 (A) 10-08-1956
Papua New Guinea 26-05-1976 (Su) 16-09-1975
Paraguay 10-12-1949 23-10-1961 (R) 23-04-1962
Peru 12-08-1949 15-02-1956 (R) 15-08-1956
Philippines 08-12-1949 06-10-1952 (R) 06-04-1953
Poland 08-12-1949 26-11-1954 (R) 26-05-1955
Portugal 11-02-1950 14-03-1961 (R) 14-09-1961
Qatar 15-10-1975 (A) 15-04-1976
Republic of Korea, the 16-08-1966 (A) 23-09-1966
Republic of the Congo 30-01-1967 (Su) 15-08-1960
Romania 10-02-1950 01-06-1954 (R) 01-12-1954
Russian Federation 12-12-1949 10-05-1954 (R) 10-11-1954
Rwanda 21-03-1964 (Su) 01-07-1962
Saint Kitts and Nevis 14-02-1986 (Su) 19-09-1983
Saint Lucia 18-09-1981 (Su) 22-02-1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 01-04-1981 (A) 01-10-1981
Samoa 23-08-1984 (Su) 01-01-1962
San Marino 29-08-1953 (A) 28-02-1954
São Tomé e Principe 21-05-1976 (A) 21-11-1976
Saudi Arabia 18-05-1963 (A) 18-11-1963
Senegal 23-04-1963 (Su) 20-06-1960
Serbia 16-10-2001 (Su) 27-04-1992
Seychelles 08-11-1984 (A) 08-05-1985
Sierra Leone 31-05-1965 (Su) 27-04-1961
Singapore 27-04-1973 (A) 27-10-1973
Slovakia 02-04-1993 (Su) 01-01-1993
Slovenia 26-03-1992 (Su) 25-06-1991
Solomon Islands 06-07-1981 (Su) 07-07-1978
Somalia 12-07-1962 (A) 12-01-1963
South Africa 31-03-1952 (A) 30-09-1952
South Sudan 25-01-2013 (A) 25-01-2013
Spain 08-12-1949 04-08-1952 (R) 04-02-1953
Sri Lanka 08-12-1949 28-02-1959 (R) 28-08-1959
Sudan 23-09-1957 (A) 23-03-1958
Suriname 13-10-1976 (Su) 25-11-1975
Sweden 08-12-1949 28-12-1953 (R) 28-06-1954
Switzerland 12-08-1949 31-03-1950 (R) 21-10-1950
Syria 12-08-1949 02-11-1953 (R) 02-05-1954
Tajikistan 13-01-1993 (Su) 21-12-1991
Tanzania 12-12-1962 (Su) 09-12-1961
Thailand 29-12-1954 (A) 29-06-1955
Timor-Leste 08-05-2003 (A) 08-11-2003
Togo 06-01-1962 (Su) 27-04-1960
Tonga 13-04-1978 (Su) 04-06-1970
Trinidad and Tobago 24-09-1963 (A) 24-03-1964
Tunisia 04-05-1957 (A) 04-11-1957
Türkiye 12-08-1949 10-02-1954 (R) 10-08-1954
Turkmenistan 10-04-1992 (Su) 26-12-1991
Tuvalu 19-02-1981 (Su) 01-10-1978
Uganda 18-05-1964 (A) 18-11-1964
Ukraine 12-12-1949 03-08-1954 (R) 03-02-1955
United Arab Emirates 10-05-1972 (A) 10-11-1972
United Kingdom 08-12-1949 23-09-1957 (R) 23-03-1958
United States of America 12-08-1949 02-08-1955 (R) 02-02-1956
Uruguay 12-08-1949 05-03-1969 (R) 05-09-1969
Uzbekistan 08-10-1993 (A) 08-04-1994
Vanuatu 27-10-1982 (A) 27-04-1983
Venezuela 10-02-1950 13-02-1956 (R) 13-08-1956
Vietnam 28-06-1957 (A) 28-12-1957
Yemen 16-07-1970 (A) 16-01-1971
Yugoslavia (< 25-06-1991) 10-02-1950 21-04-1950 (R) 21-10-1950
Zambia 19-10-1966 (A) 19-04-1967
Zimbabwe 07-03-1983 (A) 07-09-1983

Extensions

Australia

Extended to Entry into force Termination
New Guinea (< 16-09-1975) 14-04-1959 16-09-1975
Papua (< 16-09-1975) 14-04-1959 16-09-1975

Belgium

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Belgian Congo (<30-06-1960) 03-03-1953 30-06-1960
Ruanda-Urundi ( <01-07-1962) 03-03-1953 01-07-1962

China

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Hong Kong SAR 01-07-1997
Macao SAR 20-12-1999

France

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Djibouti (< 27-06-1977) 28-12-1951 27-06-1977

Netherlands, the Kingdom of the

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Suriname (< 25-11-1975) 03-02-1955 25-11-1975

Portugal

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Macao (<20-12-1999) 20-12-1999

United Kingdom

Extended to Entry into force Termination
Anguilla 23-03-1958
Antigua and Barbuda (< 01-11-1981) 23-03-1958 01-11-1981
Bahamas (< 10-07-1973) 23-03-1958 10-07-1973
Bahrain (< 15-08-1971) 23-03-1958 15-08-1971
Barbados (< 30-11-1966) 23-03-1958 30-11-1966
Bermuda 23-03-1958
British Antarctic Territory 23-03-1958
British Virgin Islands 23-03-1958
Cayman Islands 23-03-1958
Dominica (< 03-11-1978) 23-03-1958 03-11-1978
Falkland Islands 23-03-1958
Fiji (< 10-10-1970) 23-03-1958 10-10-1970
Gambia, The (< 18-02-1965) 23-03-1958 18-02-1965
Gibraltar 23-03-1958
Grenada (< 07-02-1974) 23-03-1958 07-02-1974
Guiana (< 26-05-1966) 23-03-1958 26-05-1966
Hong Kong (< 01-07-1997) 23-03-1958 01-07-1997
Jamaica (< 06-08-1962) 23-03-1958 06-08-1962
Kiribati (< 12-07-1979) 23-03-1958 12-07-1979
Kuwait (< 19-06-1961) 23-03-1958 19-06-1961
Lesotho (< 04-10-1966) 23-03-1958 04-10-1966
Malta (< 21-09-1964) 23-03-1958 21-09-1964
Mauritius (< 12-03-1968) 23-03-1958 12-03-1968
Montserrat 23-03-1958
Nigeria (< 01-10-1960) 23-03-1958 01-10-1960
Pitcairn Islands 23-03-1958
Qatar (< 03-09-1971) 23-03-1958 03-09-1971
Saint Kitts and Nevis (< 19-11-1983) 23-03-1958 19-11-1983
Saint Lucia (< 22-02-1979) 23-03-1958 22-02-1979
Saint-Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 23-03-1958
Sierra Leone (< 27-04-1961) 23-03-1958 27-04-1961
Solomon Islands (< 07-07-1978) 23-03-1958 07-07-1978
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands 23-03-1958
Tanganyika (< 09-12-1961) 23-03-1958 26-04-1964
Tonga (< 04-06-1970) 23-03-1958 04-06-1970
Trucial States (< 02-12-1971) 23-03-1958 02-12-1971
Turks and Caicos Islands 23-03-1958
Tuvalu (< 01-10-1978) 23-03-1958 01-10-1978

Parties with reservations, declarations and objections

Party Reservations / Declarations Objections
Albania Yes No
Bangladesh Yes No
China Yes No
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Yes No
Guinea-Bissau Yes Yes
Iran Yes No
Israel Yes No
Kuwait Yes Yes
North Macedonia Yes No
Portugal Yes No
Republic of Korea, the Yes No
Russian Federation Yes No
United Kingdom Yes No
United States of America Yes No
Vietnam Yes No
Yemen Yes Yes

Albania

27-05-1957

Article 10:
The People's Republic of Albania will not recognize a request by a Detaining Power to a humanitarian organization or a to neutral State to take the place of a Protecting Power, as being in order, unless the Power of which the protected persons are nationals has given its consent.

Bangladesh

20-12-1988

[...] the decision of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to use henceforth the red crescent instead of the red cross as the emblem and distinctive sign.

China

28-12-1956

Regarding Article 10 the People's Republic of China will not recognize as valid a request by the Detaining Power of the wounded, sick and shipwrecked, or medical personnel and chaplains to a neutral State or to a humanitarian organization, to undertake the functions which should be performed by a Protecting Power, unless the consent has been obtained of the government of the State of which the protected persons are nationals.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

27-08-1957

On Article 10:
In the event of a Power detaining wounded and sick, or medical personnel, requesting a neutral State, or a humanitarian organization, to undertake the functions incumbent on a Protecting Power, the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will not consider it a legal request unless an approval is obtained from the Government of the State on which the protected persons concerned depend.

Guinea-Bissau

21-02-1974

Article 10
The Council of State of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau does not recognize as legal the request addressed by the Detaining Power to a neutral country or a humanitarian organization to undertake the functions performed by a Protecting Power, unless the State on which the wounded, sick and shipwrecked persons depend has already agreed to that request.
Article 13
The Council of State of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau does not recognize the conditions provided for in subparagraph (2) of this article concerning "members of other militias and members of other volunteer corps, including those of organized resistance movements", because these conditions are not suited to the people's wars waged today.

Objection Germany, 03-03-1975

Objection to the reservation made upon accession by Guinea-Bissau to the Geneva Convention II concerning Article 13 (2):
[...] exceed, in the opinion of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the purpose and intent of these Conventions and are therefore unacceptable to it. This declaration shall not otherwise affect the validity of the said Geneva Conventions under international law as between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Objection United States of America, 04-03-1975

The reservations are similar to reservations expressed by others previously with respect to the same or different conventions and concerning which the Government of the United States has previously declared its views. The attitude of the Government of the United States with respect to all the reservations by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau parallels its attitude toward such other reservations. The Government of the United States, while rejecting the reservations, accepts treaty relations with the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Objection United Kingdom, 19-11-1975

In relation to the reservation made [....] by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to [...] and Article 13 of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, the Government of the United Kingdom wish to state that they are likewise unable to accept those reservations.

Iran

04-09-1980

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran declared that henceforth it wishes to use the red crescent as the distinctive emblem and sign instead of the red lion and sun.

Israel

22-01-1986

Subject to the reservation that, while respecting the inviolability of the distinctive signs and emblems of the Convention, Israel will use the Red Shield of David on the flags, armlets and on all equipment (including hospital ships), employed in the medical service.

Kuwait

02-09-1967

This Accession does not imply recognition of Israel or entering with it into relations governed by the Conventions thereto acceded.

Objection Israel, 22-01-1968

Israel has taken note of the political character of the declaration made by Kuwait [ ]. In the view of the Government of Israel, this declaration is inadmissible and the Government of Israel formally expresses its objections to this declaration and as far as its relations with Kuwait are concerned, it reserves the right to act on the basis of strict reciprocity with regard to issues that are subject to these Conventions.

North Macedonia

18-10-1996

[...] decided on to adhere to the reservations made by the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.
Article 10
The Government of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia will not consider as legal a request by the Detaining Power that a neutral State or an international organization or a humanitarian organization should undertake the functions performed under the present Convention by the Protecting Powers, on behalf of the wounded, sick and shipwrecked, or medical personnel and chaplains, unless the Government whose nationals they are has given its consent.

Portugal

14-03-1961

The Portuguese Government only accepts article 10 of Conventions I, II and III […] with the reservation that requests by the Detaining Power to a neutral State or to a humanitarian organization to undertake the functions normally performed by Protecting Powers are made with the consent or agreement of the Government of the country of which the persons to be protected are nationals (Countries of origin).


22-11-1999

[...] the Portuguese Republic will cease to assume the rights and obligations arising from the Conventions and Protocols for Macao from 20 December 1999.

Republic of Korea, the

16-08-1966

The Government of the Republic of Korea do hereby declare that it is the only lawful Government in Korea, as set forth in General Assembly Resolution 195 (III) of 12 December 1948, and its accession shall not be construed as recognizing any Contracting Party thereto which the Republic of Korea has not hitherto recognized.

Russian Federation

10-05-1954

Article 10:
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will not recognize the validity of requests by the Detaining Power to a neutral State or to a humanitarian organization, to undertake the functions performed by a Protecting Power, unless the consent of the Government of the country of which the protected persons are nationals has been obtained.

United Kingdom

13-06-1997

In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from application of the Convention to Hong Kong.

United States of America

02-08-1955

Rejecting the reservations which States have made with respect to the Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea, the United States accepts treaty relations with all parties to that Convention, except as to the changes proposed by such reservations.

Vietnam

28-06-1957

Article 10:
A request by the Detaining Power to a neutral Power or to an organization providing guarantees of impartiality and effectiveness, to undertake the functions entrusted to the Protecting Powers by the Convention, will not be recognized as lawful by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, unless the State of which the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field are nationals has approved the request.

Yemen

25-05-1977

The Government of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen declares that the accession of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen to this Conventions by no means implies recognition of Israel.

Objection Israel, 10-02-1978

The Government of Israel takes note that by declarations […] the Popular Democratic Republic of Yemen adhered to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 relating to the protection of war victims.
The said instruments were accompanied by a declaration of a political character in respect to Israel. In the view of the Government of Israel, this is not the proper place for making such political pronouncements, which are, moreover, in flagrant contradiction to the principles, objects and purposes of the said Conventions. The said declaration cannot in any way affect whatever obligations are binding upon the Popular Democratic Republic of Yemen under general international law or under particular treaties.

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