A/RES/51/155
Page 2
Mindful of the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross in
offering protection to the victims of armed conflicts,
Noting with appreciation the continuing efforts of the International
Committee of the Red Cross to promote and disseminate knowledge of the two
additional Protocols,
Noting that the Twenty-sixth International Conference of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent was held at Geneva from 3 to 7 December 1995,
1.
Appreciates the virtually universal acceptance of the Geneva
Conventions of 19493 and the increasingly wide acceptance of the two
additional Protocols of 1977;2
2.
Appeals to all States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949
that have not yet done so to consider becoming parties to the additional
Protocols at the earliest possible date;
3.
Calls upon all States that are already parties to Protocol I, or
those States not parties, on becoming parties to Protocol I, to make the
declaration provided for under article 90 of that Protocol;
4.
Calls upon all States parties to the additional Protocols to
ensure their wide dissemination and full implementation;
5.
Notes with satisfaction that the Twenty-sixth International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent endorsed the Final Declaration of
the International Conference for the Protection of War Victims,4 adopted on
1 September 1993, which reaffirms the necessity of making the implementation
of international humanitarian law more effective;
6.
Notes that the Twenty-sixth International Conference also endorsed
the recommendations elaborated by an intergovernmental group of experts which
aim at translating the Final Declaration into concrete measures, including the
recommendation that the depositary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 organize
periodic meetings of States parties to these Conventions to consider general
problems regarding the application of international humanitarian law;
7.
Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly
at its fifty-third session a report on the status of the additional Protocols
based on information received from Member States;
8.
Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third
session the item entitled "Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva
Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed
conflicts".
85th plenary meeting
16 December 1996
4
A/48/742, annex.