New York: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on countries to enforce the human rights values enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, which was adopted
60 years ago.
"The Secretary-General reaffirms their enduring significance and relevance for the protection of human life and dignity in situations of armed conflict," Ban's spokesperson, Marie Okabe, said in a statement on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
"The Secretary-General urges all Member States to take the necessary steps to ensure respect for the fundamental principles therein," the statement said.
The four Conventions, adopted in 1949 in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II, protect wounded and sick soldiers on land and wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during war, establish rights for prisoners of war, and afford protection to civilians, including in occupied territory.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 10:45