75 years of Geneva Conventions: Global and Sri Lankan perspectives

Geneva, electoral building. Signing of the Final Act of the Diplomatic Conference for the Revision of the Geneva Convention of 1949, delegation of Switzerland 

First page of the Geneva Convention of 22 August 1864. (The original document is kept at the Swiss Federal Archives in Bern.)

12 August 2024 marked a poignant milestone – the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the cornerstone of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) which regulates the conduct of armed conflict to preserve humanity and reduce suffering, even in the worst of wartime.

Ratified by all States, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 embody the universal recognition that wars must have limits, and that, regardless of the circumstances, the actions of parties to an armed conflict must be guided by respect for human dignity and compassion. The Geneva Conventions form the core of International Humanitarian Law which protects people who are not, or are no longer, taking part in the fighting. They represent a shared interest in a humanitarian imperative to regulate the behaviour of warring parties and to set limits to violence in war. In the context of the devastating humanitarian impact of armed conflicts and polarised public opinion, this unique consensus must be embraced, not cast aside. 

To mark this significant milestone, the Foreign Affairs Ministry – Sri Lanka, the Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will hold an event, themed “75 Years of the Geneva Conventions: Global and Sri Lankan Perspectives” on 14 August in Colombo. 

At the commemorative event, the finalised Sinhala and Tamil translations of the Geneva Conventions will be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka, to be officially adopted, with the aim of promoting wider knowledge of international humanitarian law, reflecting the obligation on the State parties to the Geneva Conventions to ensure the dissemination of their content. A panel discussion is also scheduled to take place at the event with the participation of experts in international humanitarian law, on “Preserving our shared humanity: IHL as a national and international political priority”.

Concurrently, a photo exhibition will be unveiled at the BMICH. The exhibition will consist of three parts: ‘Dialogues in Humanity’, a collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Photo Elysée, museum for photography in Lausanne and the ICRC;  a selection of photos from the ICRC’s audio visual archives on the history of the Geneva Conventions and the protections afforded by them; and a collection of photographs illustrating Sri Lanka’s role in the dissemination and development of International Humanitarian Law and regional cooperation. The exhibition will be open to the public from 15 to 25 August at the bridge between the main building and block 2 of BMICH from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Entrance is free.

To mark this significant milestone, the Foreign Affairs Ministry – Sri Lanka, the Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will hold an event, themed “75 Years of the Geneva Conventions: Global and Sri Lankan Perspectives” on 14 August in Colombo. The exhibition will be open to the public from 15 to 25 August at the bridge between the main building and block 2 of BMICH from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Entrance is free.