0031-0330 irl.qxd
2.3.2009
14:19
Page 59
FIRST GENEVA CONVENTION OF 1949 – ANNEX I
59
ART. 7. — The Powers shall communicate to all the High Contracting Parties in
peacetime or on the outbreak of hostilities, a list of the hospital zones in the
territories governed by them. They shall also give notice of any new zones set up
during hostilities.
As soon as the adverse Party has received the above-mentioned notification, the
zone shall be regularly constituted.
If, however, the adverse Party considers that the conditions of the present
agreement have not been fulfilled, it may refuse to recognize the zone by giving
immediate notice thereof to the Party responsible for the said zone, or may make
its recognition of such zone dependent upon the institution of the control provided
for in Article 8.
ART. 8. — Any Power having recognized one or several hospital zones instituted
by the adverse Party shall be entitled to demand control by one or more Special
Commissions, for the purpose of ascertaining if the zones fulfil the conditions and
obligations stipulated in the present agreement.
For this purpose, the members of the Special Commissions shall at all times have
free access to the various zones and may even reside there permanently. They shall
be given all facilities for their duties of inspection.
ART. 9. — Should the Special Commissions note any facts which they consider
contrary to the stipulations of the present agreement, they shall at once draw the
attention of the Power governing the said zone to these facts, and shall fix a time
limit of five days within which the matter should be rectified. They shall duly notify
the Power who has recognized the zone.
If, when the time limit has expired, the Power governing the zone has not
complied with the warning, the adverse Party may declare that it is no longer bound
by the present agreement in respect of the said zone.
ART. 10. — Any Power setting up one or more hospital zones and localities, and
the adverse Parties to whom their existence has been notified, shall nominate or
have nominated by neutral Powers, the persons who shall be members of the
Special Commissions mentioned in Articles 8 and 9.
ART. 11. — In no circumstances may hospital zones be the object of attack. They
shall be protected and respected at all times by the Parties to the conflict.
ART. 12. — In the case of occupation of a territory, the hospital zones therein
shall continue to be respected and utilized as such.
Their purpose may, however, be modified by the Occupying Power, on condition
that all measures are taken to ensure the safety of the persons accommodated.
ART. 13. — The present agreement shall also apply to localities which the Powers
may utilize for the same purposes as hospital zones.