Fourth Geneva Convention

The evolution of international humanitarian law (IHL) is more evident now because of the changing nature of armed conflicts and the increase in the number of threats against civilians. The objective of IHL of protecting the non-combatants, medical personnel, and humanitarian workers can be seen as rooted in the Geneva Conventions, especially in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The addition of various strategies such as asymmetric conflicts, technological advancements, etc, concerning warfare, has resulted in challenges against the implementation of IHL principles. The effectiveness of the same is often undermined due to violations like targeted attacks on civilians and the use of indiscriminate weapons etc. the historical development as well as the contemporary issues, or the requirement of strong enforcing mechanisms to promote the protection of civilians has been explored in this paper.