Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2010
It is not enough simply to draw up a new international treaty—the States must also agree to respect it. A State demonstrates its willingness to respect new obligations first and foremost by ratifying or acceding to a treaty.
1 A State which signs a treaty must then ratify it whereas a State which has not signed the treaty must accede to it. The legal effect is the same—in both cases the State becomes party to the treaty.
2 See Sandoz/Swinarski/Zimmermann (editors), “Commentary on the Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949”, International Committee of the Red Cross and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Geneva, 1987.
3 The (new) Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, adopted in October 1986, use different words to describe the same task (Art. 5[2/g]). See the International Review of the Red Cross (IRRC), No. 256, 01–02 1987, starting on p. 25.Google Scholar
4 Resolution III of the Twenty-third International Conference of the Red Cross, IRRC, No. 201, 12 1977, p. 508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5 Report on the Diplomatic Conference, Twenty-third International Conference of the Red Cross, CPA/III/I.
6 Resolution VII of the Twenty-fourth International Conference of the Red Cross, IRRC, No. 225, 11–12 1981, p. 323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7 Resolution II of the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, IRRC, No. 255, 11–12 1986, p. 342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8 Resolution 2 of the Council of Delegates (1979), IRRC, No. 213, 11–12 1979, p. 330 CrossRefGoogle Scholar and the Resolution of the Council of Delegates (1985), IRRC, No. 250, 01–02 1986, p. 11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9 Resolution 32/44 of 8.12.1977.
10 Resolution 34/51 of 23.11.1979.
11 Resolution 37/116 of 16.12.1982.
12 Resolution 39/77 of 13.12.1984.
13 Resolution 41/72 of 3.12.1986.
14 CM/Res. 1059 (XLIV).
15 Recommendation 945 (1982); see also Recommendation 823 (1984) concerning the ICRC's activities in general.
16 See the resolution adopted by the Seventy-sixth Inter-Parliamentary Conference (Buenos Aires, 1986), IRRC, No. 255, 11–12 1986, pp. 410–411.Google Scholar
17 See above Note 2.