Page 3191 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
there are, doubtless, challenges ahead, it is important on this anniversary to recognise the great advances that the Geneva conventions have brought to our world.
We can go far back to look at the very first convention and wonder at the strength of conviction that brought into law notions that we can become in danger of dismissing as having always been there—notions such as that ambulances and hospitals shall be acknowledged as neutral, to be protected and respected; that persons employed in these situations will be regarded as neutral; that the wounded or sick shall be cared for regardless of nationality; and that a distinctive and uniform flag will be adopted for hospitals, ambulances and evacuations. This last concept, article 7 of the 1864 convention, led to the creation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.
These notions, and many more which have followed, are crucial, fundamental and speak to an underlying humanity even in times of the darkest days of our most difficult years. These notions have survived world wars and genocides. They remain crucial as we face the scourge of terror into the future.
I and my party recognise the deep importance of the conventions and the contributions of the Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations. I support this motion on the 60th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva conventions.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.34): I would like to thank the Attorney-General for putting this motion to the Assembly today and providing members with the opportunity to speak to it. I welcome the comments that have been made so far in relation to the Geneva conventions, which have shed a great deal of light already on the importance and relevance of these conventions.
It has been 60 years since the four Geneva conventions were opened for signature in 1949. That is indeed a significant anniversary. The essential spirit of the Geneva conventions is “to uphold life and dignity … in the midst of armed conflict”. That is how the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross described it when speaking in Geneva recently at the ICRC’s ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Geneva conventions.
In pursuing that essential spirit, the Geneva conventions pay particular attention to the most helpless and vulnerable people unfortunate enough to be caught up in war. As the motion before the Assembly today notes, those most helpless and vulnerable people include civilian populations, the wounded and prisoners of war.
I quoted from the speech given by the President of the ICRC because his concluding comments were of vital importance. After outlining the essential spirit of the Geneva conventions, to protect the most helpless in war, he went on to stress that the conventions remain as important today as they were 60 years ago.
The conventions remain as important today as ever because there are innocent people today being put through the horrors of war who need protection, just as there were 60 years ago. There are prisoners of war who need enforceable and basic human rights, just as there were 60 years ago. There are nurses who need a safe zone in which to tend to the injured, just as there were 60 years ago. And, of course, there are innocent civilian populations, just as there were 60 years ago.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .