Vietnam always respects international humanitarian law

Nguyen Minh Vu, Assistant to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) celebrated the 60th Anniversary of Vietnam’s ratification of the 1949 Geneva Conventions on international humanitarian law (IHL) on December 5.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the ICRC and international experts on humanitarian law and relevant organizations.

President Ho Chi Minh signed a diplomatic note on June 5, 1957, declaring Vietnam’s joining of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, including the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field; the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea; the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, and the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The above set of conventions has so far been adopted by 194 countries and been one of a few international conventions with such a large number of members.

Nguyen Minh Vu, Assistant to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, emphasised that Vietnam’s ratification of the 1949 Geneva Conventions was an important historical milestone demonstrating the country’s respect and promotion of the enforcement of the IHL in particular and international law in general.

Through their presentations with up-to-date and practical information, Vietnamese delegates at the workshop shared with international participants Vietnam's experiences in implementing the 1949 Geneva Conventions during the past wars,  in overcoming the consequences of war, in disseminating and raising public awareness of international humanitarian law, and in promoting the implementation of the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions.