Table of Contents
Preamble & PART I: General
Provisions
PART II: Wounded, Sick and
Shipwrecked
PART III: Methods and Means
of Warfare, Combatant and Prisoner of War Status
PART IV: Civilian Population
PART V: Execution of the
conventions and of this Protocol
PART VI: Final Provisions
Annexes
ANNEXES
ANNEX I TO PROTOCOL I REGULATIONS
CONCERNING IDENTIFICATION
Chapter I Identity Cards
Article 1 - Identity card for permanent civilian medical and religious
personnel
Article 2 - Identity card for temporary civilian medical and
religious personnel
Chapter II The
distinctive emblem
Article 3 - Shape and nature
Article 4 - Use
Distinctive signals
Article 5
- Optional use
Article 6 - Light signal
Article 7 - Radio signal
Article 8 - Electronic signal
Communications
Article 9 -
Radiocommunication
Article 10 - Use of international codes
Article 11
- Other means of communication
Article 12 - Flight plans
Article 13 -
Signals and procedures for the interception of medical aircraft
Civil defence
Article 14 - Identity card
Article 15 - International distinctive
sign
Works and installations containing
dangerous forces
Article 16 - International special sign
ANNEX I AS AMENDED ON 30
NOVEMBER 1993: REGULATIONS CONCERNING IDENTIFICATION
Article 1 - General provisions
Chapter I. Identity cards
Article 2 - Identity card for permanent civilian medical and
religious personnel
Article 3 - Identity card for temporary civilian
medical and religious personnel
Chapter II. The distinctive emblem
Article 4 - shape
Articel 5 - Use
Chapter III. Distinctive signals
Article 6 - Use
Articel 7 - Light signal
Article 8 - Radio signal
Article 9 -
Electronic identification
Chapter IV. Communications
Article 10 -
Radiocommunications
Articel 11 - Use of international codes
Article 12
- Other means of communication
Article 13 - Flight plans
Article 14 -
Signals and procedures for the interception of medical aircraft
Chapter V. Civil Defence
Article 15 - Identity card
Article 16 - International distinctive sign
Chapter VI. Works and installations containing dangerous forces
Article 17 - International special sign
ANNEX II TO PROTOCOL I IDENTITY CARD FOR JOURNALISTS ON DANGEROUS
PROFESSIONAL MISSIONS
ANNEX I AS AMENDED ON 30
NOVEMBER 1993: REGULATIONS CONCERNING IDENTIFICATION
Article 1 - General provisions (New article)
1. The regulations concerning identification in this Annex
implement the relevant provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the
Protocol; they are intended to facilitate the identification of
personnel, material, units, transports and installations protected
under the Geneva Conventions and the Protocol.
2. These rules do not in and of themselves establish the right to
protection. This right is governed by the relevant articles in the
Conventions and the Protocol.
3. The competent authorities may, subject to the relevant
provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the Protocol, at all times
regulate the use, display, illumination and detectability of the
distinctive emblems and signals.
4. The High Contracting Parties and in particular the Parties to
the conflict are invited at all times to agree upon additional or
other signals, means or systems which enhance the possibility of
identification and take full advantage of technological developments
in this field.
CHAPTER I - IDENTITY CARDS
Article 2 - Identity card for permanent civilian medical and
religious personnel
1. The identity card for permanent civilian medical and
religious personnel referred to in Article 18, paragraph 3, of the
Protocol should:
(a) bear the distinctive emblem and be of such size that it can
be carried in the pocket;
(b) be as durable as practicable;
(c) be worded in the national or official language and, in
addition and when appropriate, in the local language of the region
concerned;
(d) mention the name, the date of birth (or, if that date is not
available, the age at the time of issue) and the identity number, if
any, of the holder;
(e) state in what capacity the holder is entitled to the
protection of the Conventions and of the Protocol;
(f) bear the photograph of the holder as well as his signature or
his thumbprint, or both;
(g) bear the stamp and signature of the competent authority;
(h) state the date of issue and date of expiry of the card;
(i) indicate, whenever possible, the holder's blood group, on the
reverse side of the card.
2. The identity card shall be uniform throughout the territory of
each High Contracting Party and, as far as possible, of the same
type for all Parties to the conflict. The Parties to the conflict
may be guided by the single-language model shown in Figure 1. At the
outbreak of hostilities, they shall transmit to each other a
specimen of the model they are using, if such model differs from
that shown in Figure 1. The identity card shall be made out, if
possible, in duplicate, one copy being kept by the issuing
authority, which should maintain control of the cards which it has
issued.
3. In no circumstances may permanent civilian medical and
religious personnel be deprived of their identity cards. In the
event of the loss of a card, they shall be entitled to obtain a
duplicate copy.
Article 3 - Identity card for temporary civilian medical and
religious personnel
1. The identity card for temporary civilian medical and religious
personnel should, whenever possible, be similar to that provided for in
Article 1 of these Regulations. The Parties to the conflict may be
guided by the model shown in Figure 1.
2. When circumstances preclude the provision to temporary civilian
medical and religious personnel of identity cards similar to those
described in Article 2 of these Regulations, the said personnel may be
provided with a certificate signed by the competent authority certifying
that the person to whom it is issued is assigned to duty as temporary
personnel and stating, if possible, the duration of such assignment and
his right to wear the distinctive emblem. The certificate should mention
the holder's name and date of birth (or if that is not available, his
age at the time when the certificate was issued), his function and
identity number, if any. It shall bear his signature or his thumbprint,
or both.
CHAPTER II - THE DISTINCTIVE EMBLEM
Article 4 - Shape
The distinctive emblem (red on a white ground) shall be as large as
appropriate under the circumstances. For the shapes of the cross, the
crescent or the lion and sun*, the High Contracting Parties may be guided by
the models shown in Figure 2.
* No State has used the emblem of the lion and sun since 1980.
Article 5 - Use
1. The distinctive emblem shall, whenever possible, be displayed
on a flat surface, on flags or in any other way appropriate to the lay
of the land, so that it is visible from as many directions and from as
far away as possible, and in particular from the air.
2. At night or when visibility is reduced, the distinctive emblem may
be lighted or illuminated.
3. The distinctive emblem may be made of materials which make it
recognizable by technical means of detecting. The red part should be
painted on top of black primer paint in order to facilitate its
identification, in particular by infrared instruments.
4. Medical and religious personnel carrying out their duties in the
battle area shall, as far as possible, wear headgear and clothing
bearing the distinctive emblem.
CHAPTER III - DISTINCTIVE SIGNALS
Article 6 - Use
1. All distinctive signals specified in this Chapter may be used
by medical units or transports.
2. These signals, at the exclusive disposal of medical units and
transports, shall not be used for any other purpose, the use of the
light signal being reserved (see paragraph 3 below).
3. In the absence of a special agreement between the Parties to the
conflict reserving the use of flashing blue lights for the
identification of medical vehicles, ships and craft, the use of such
signals for other vehicles, ships and craft is not prohibited.
4. Temporary medical aircraft which cannot, either for lack of time
or because of their characteristics, be marked with the distinctive
emblem, may use the distinctive signals authorized in this Chapter.
Article 7 - Light signal
1. The light signal, consisting of a flashing blue light as
defined in the Airworthiness Technical Manual of the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc. 9051, is established for the use of
medical aircraft to signal their identity. No other aircraft shall use
this signal. Medical aircraft using the flashing blue light should
exhibit such lights as may be necessary to make the light signal visible
from as many directions as possible.
2. In accordance with the provisions of Chapter XIV, para. 4 of the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Code of Signals,
vessels protected by the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Protocol
should exhibit one or more flashing blue lights visible from any
direction.
3. Medical vehicles should exhibit one or more flashing blue lights
visible from as far away as possible. The High Contracting Parties and,
in particular, the Parties to the conflict which use lights of other
colours should give notification of this.
4. The recommended blue colour is obtained when its chromaticity is
within the boundaries of the International Commission on Illumination
(ICI) chromaticity diagram defined by the following equations:
green boundary y = 0.065 + 0,805x;
white boundary y = 0.400 - x;
purple boundary x = 0.133 + 0,600y.
The recommended flashing rate of the blue light is between sixty and
one hundred flashes per minute.
Article 8 - Radio signal
1. The radio signal shall consist of the urgency signal and the
distinctive signal as described in the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) Radio Regulations (RR Articles 40 and N 40).
2. The
radio message preceded by the urgency and distinctive signals mentioned
in paragraph 1 shall be transmitted in English at appropriate intervals
on a frequency or frequencies specified for this purpose in the Radio
Regulations, and shall convey the following data relating to the medical
transports concerned:
(a) call sign or other recognized means of identification;
(b)
position;
(c) number and type of vehicles;
(d) intended route;
(e) estimated time en route and of departure and arrival, as
appropriate;
(f) any other information, such as flight altitude,
guarded radio frequencies, languages used and secondary surveillance
radar modes and codes.
3. In order to facilitate the communications referred to in
paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as the communications referred to in
Articles 22, 23 and 25 to 31 of the Protocol, the High Contracting
Parties, the Parties to a conflict, or one of the Parties to a conflict,
acting in agreement or alone, may designate, in accordance with the
Table of Frequency Allocations in the Radio Regulations annexed to the
International Telecommunication Convention, and publish selected
national frequencies to be used by them for such communications. The
International Telecommunication Union shall be notified of these
frequencies in accordance with procedures approved by a World
Administrative Radio Conference.
Article 9 - Electronic identification
1. The Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) system, as specified in
Annex 10 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation of 7
December 1944, as amended from time to time, may be used to identify and
to follow the course of medical aircraft. The SSR mode and code to be
reserved for the exclusive use of medical aircraft shall be established
by the High Contracting Parties, the Parties to a conflict, or one of
the Parties to a conflict, acting in agreement or alone, in accordance
with procedures to be recommended by the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
2. Protected medical transports may, for their identification and
location, use standard aeronautical radar transponders and/or maritime
search and rescue radar transponders.
It should be possible for protected medical transports to be
identified by other vessels or aircraft equipped with secondary
surveillance radar by means of a code transmitted by a radar
transponder, e.g. in mode 3/A, fitted on the medical transports.
The code transmitted by the medical transport transponder should be
assigned to that transport by the competent authorities and notified to
all the Parties to the conflict.
3. It should be possible for medical transports to be identified by
submarines by the appropriate underwater acoustic signals transmitted by
the medical transports.
The underwater acoustic signal shall consist of the call sign (or any
other recognized means of identification of medical transport) of the
ship preceded by the single group YYY transmitted in morse on an
appropriate acoustic frequency, e.g. 5kHz.
Parties to a conflict wishing to use the underwater acoustic
identification signal described above shall inform the Parties concerned
of the signal as soon as possible, and shall, when notifying the use of
their hospital ships, confirm the frequency to be employed.
4. Parties to a conflict may, by special agreement between them,
establish for their use a similar electronic system for the
identification of medical vehicles, and medical ships and craft.
CHAPTER IV - COMMUNICATIONS
Article 10 - Radiocommunications
1. The urgency signal and the distinctive signal provided for in
Article 8 may precede appropriate radiocommunications by medical units
and transports in the application of the procedures carried out under
Articles 22, 23 and 25 to 31 of the Protocol.
2. The medical transports referred to in Articles 40 (Section II, No.
3209) and N 40 (Section III, No. 3214) of the ITU Radio Regulations may
also transmit their communications by satellite systems, in accordance
with the provisions of Articles 37, N 37 and 59 of the ITU Radio
Regulations for the Mobile-Satellite Services.
Article 11 - Use of international codes
Medical units and transports may also use the codes and signals laid down
by the International telecommunication Union, the International Civil
Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization. These
codes and signals shall be used in accordance with the standards, practices
and procedures established by these Organizations.
Article 12 - Other means of communication
When two-way radiocommunication is not possible, the signals provided for
in the International Code of Signals adopted by the International Maritime
Organization or in the appropriate Annex to the Chicago Convention on
International Civil Aviation of 7 December 1944, as amended from time to
time, may be used.
Article 13 - Flight plans
The agreements and notifications relating to flight plans provided for in
Article 29 of the Protocol shall as far as possible be formulated in
accordance with procedures laid down by the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
Article 14 - Signals and procedures for the interception of medical
aircraft
If an intercepting aircraft is used to verify the identity of a medical
aircraft in flight or to require it to land in accordance with Articles 30
and 31 of the Protocol, the standard visual and radio interception
procedures prescribed by Annex 2 to the Chicago Convention on International
Civil Aviation of 7 December 1944, as amended from time to time, should be
used by the intercepting and the medical aircraft.
CHAPTER V - CIVIL DEFENCE
Article 15 - Identity card
1. The identity card of the civil defence personnel provided for
in Article 66, paragraph 3, of the Protocol is governed by the relevant
provisions of Article 2 of these Regulations.
2. The identity card for civil defence personnel may follow the model
shown in Figure 3.
3. If civil defence personnel are permitted to carry light individual
weapons, an entry to that effect should be made on the card mentioned.
Article 16 - International distinctive sign
1. The international distinctive sign of civil defence provided
for in Article 66, paragraph 4, of the Protocol is an equilateral blue
triangle on an ground. A model is shown in Figure 4:
2. It is recommended that:
(a) if the blue triangle is on a flag or armlet or tabard, the ground
to the triangle be the flag, armlet or tabard;
(b) one of the angles of the triangle be pointed vertically upwards;
(c) no angle of the triangle touch the edge of the ground.
3. The international distinctive sign shall be as large as
appropriate under the circumstances. The distinctive sign shall,
whenever possible, be displayed on flat surfaces or on flags visible
from as many directions and from as far away as possible. Subject to the
instructions of the competent authority, civil defence personnel shall,
as far as possible, wear headgear and clothing bearing the international
distinctive sign. At night or when visibility is reduced, the sign may
be lighted or illuminated; it may also be made of materials rendering it
recognizable by technical means of detection.
CHAPTER VI - WORKS AND INSTALLATIONS CONTAINING DANGEROUS FORCES
Article 17 - International special sign
1. The international special sign for works and installations
containing dangerous forces, as provided for in Article 56, paragraph 7,
of the Protocol, shall be a group of three bright circles of
equal size, placed on the same axis, the distance between each circle
being one radius, in accordance with Figure 5 illustrated below.
2. The sign shall be as large as appropriate under the circumstances.
When displayed over an extended surface it may be repeated as often as
appropriate under the circumstances. It shall, whenever possible, be
displayed on flat surfaces or on flags so as to be visible from as many
directions and from as far away as possible.
3. On a flag, the distance between the outer limits of the sign and
the adjacent sides of the flag shall be one radius of a circle. The flag
shall be rectangular and shall have a white ground.
4. At night or when visibility is reduced, the sign may be lighted or
illuminated. It may also be made of materials rendering it recognizable
by technical means of detection.
