Following five years of research and consultations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has published a new, updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention (GC IV) of 1949. GC IV is the cornerstone of protection for civilians in international armed conflict and occupation – protections that remain urgently relevant amid patterns of urban warfare, strikes on essential services, and persistent harm to people who are not, or are no longer, taking part in hostilities. The 2025 Commentary consolidates more than seven decades of practice, jurisprudence, and operational experience into a practical guide to applying GC IV’s safeguards effectively today. 

In this post, Jean-Marie Henckaerts, the head of the ICRC project to update the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, situates the updated Commentary in contemporary conflict realities and explains why GC IV’s protective purpose must steer its interpretation. He points out that good faith interpretation – required by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties – means reading GC IV in a way that realizes its humanitarian object and purpose, not hollowing it out through technical argumentation that defeats protection in practice.  

⭐ Join us for the GC IV Commentary Launch Event

This updated Commentary is the latest in a series produced by the ICRC and a team of renowned legal experts applying the treaty interpretation methodology set out in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT).

The updated Commentary is a reference tool that provides the type of clear understanding of the legal framework that is a crucial first step in achieving better respect for IHL by all parties to armed conflict and strengthening their ability to influence others. Organized by the ICRC, a launch event to be held on November 27 will bring together legal experts and humanitarian practitioners for a dynamic discussion on the Commentary’s key findings and their practical implications. 

📜 Critical Readings on GC IV

📚 ICRC's IHL Database

Discover GC IV (1949), including the treaty text, commentaries, and related materials that define protections for civilians in armed conflict.

🏆 22nd Bruges Colloquium (2021)

Explore how GC IV intersects with international human rights law and audience-selected issues relevant to academia and humanitarian actors.

🔗 Additional Resources

Humanitarian Law & Policy

Read the legal and practical dimensions of civilian internment under GC IV, examining state practices, procedural safeguards, and the challenges of implementing IHL in contemporary armed conflicts.

International Review of the Red Cross (IRRC)

Explore peer-reviewed articles on GC IV produced by IRRC and published by Cambridge University Press, offering historical and contemporary insights into its legal, humanitarian, and policy dimensions.

Other ICRC Resources

Discover a wide range of resources on GC IV at icrc.org, including articles, events, legal factsheets, publications, reports, statements, and videos that highlight the protection of civilians in times of war.