HL Deb 13 May 1991 vol 528 c61WA
Lord Young of Dartington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Kurdish National Front is eligible to become a party, as distinct from a High Contracting Party, to the 1949 Red Cross international conventions to which Iraq is a party; and whether it has sought to do so.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)

The Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949 do not provide for any status other than that of High Contracting Party. They do however, in Article 3 common to all four conventions, lay down certain minimum provisions which must be complied with in the case of an armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of a High Contracting Party. This provision applies to the present situation in Iraq.

Lord Young of Dartington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Article 3 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war applies specifically to armed conflict not of an international character; whether it requires each party to the conflict to be bound to apply minimum humanitarian standards; whether it provides for the International Committee of the Red Cross to offer its services to the parties; and whether it requires the parties to endeavour to bring into force by special agreement all or part of the other provisions of the present convention, including those which are not mandatory such as the creation of safety zones and localities.

The Earl of Caithness

Article 3, common to all four of the Geneva Conventions, lays down certain minimum standards which each party to a non-international armed conflict occurring in the territory of a High Contracting Party was bound to apply. In addition, it allows the ICRC to offer its services to the parties to the conflict and encourages the parties to the conflict to endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the convention in question. A full text of the four Geneva Conventions is available in the Library of the House.