Protocol III

For Protocol III to the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, see Protocol on Incendiary Weapons.
"Geneva Protocol III" redirects here. For other topics, see Geneva Protocol (disambiguation).

Geneva Conventions Protocol III
Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III), 8 December 2005
TypeProtocol
Drafted5–8 December 2005
Signed8 December 2005 (2005-12-08)
LocationGeneva
Effective14 January 2007 (2007-01-14)
ConditionSix months after two instruments of ratification or accession were deposited
Signatories
20 States[1]
Parties
79 States[2]
DepositarySwiss Federal Council
LanguagesEnglish, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian
Full text
Geneva Convention/Protocol III at Wikisource
A map showing the current status of Protocol by country, as of July 2020:
  State parties (77)
  State signatories (21)
  Neither
The Red Crystal emblem approved by the States party to the Protocol III of the Geneva Conventions

Protocol III is a 2005 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. Under the protocol, the protective sign of the Red Crystal may be displayed by medical and religious personnel at times of war, instead of the traditional Red Cross or Red Crescent symbols. People displaying any of these protective emblems are performing a humanitarian service and must be protected by all parties to the conflict.

  1. ^ "Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III), 8 December 2005". International Committee of the Red Cross. n.d. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III), 8 December 2005". International Committee of the Red Cross. n.d. Retrieved 9 April 2019.