Treaty

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

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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