International legal agreements such as the Geneva Conventions, Rome Statute, and others like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Hague Conventions regulate how countries behave during wars, conflicts, and major humanitarian crises. These laws aim to protect people, maintain peace, and punish serious crimes when national laws are not enough.
The Geneva Conventions are four international treaties designed to protect people during armed conflict. They regulate:
The Rome Statute created the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998. It prosecutes individuals for:
The UDHR, adopted in 1948, outlines basic rights every person deserves:
The Hague Conventions regulate warfare conduct and include:
This treaty bans the use and stockpiling of chemical weapons and requires their destruction.
| Purpose | What They Protect or Enforce |
|---|---|
| War-time behaviour | Protects civilians, POWs, and the injured |
| Global accountability | Punishes crimes like genocide and torture |
| Basic human rights | Ensures safety and fairness in times of peace and war |
| International peace | Discourages illegal invasions and violence |
Agreements like the Geneva Conventions, Rome Statute, UDHR, and Hague Conventions are essential for protecting lives, reducing suffering, and ensuring justice across the world. They set global standards for how people and governments must act—even in times of war and crisis.
