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Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Act 2008-09

Type of Bill:
Government Bill
Sponsors:
Lord Malloch-Brown
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
David Miliband
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Progress of the Bill

Bill started in the House of Lords

  1. House of Lords
    1. 1st reading
    2. 2nd reading
    3. Committee stage
    4. Report stage
    5. 3rd reading
  2. House of Commons
    1. 1st reading
    2. 2nd reading
    3. Committee stage
    4. Report stage
    5. 3rd reading
  3. Consideration of Amendments
  4. Royal Assent

Last event

Act of Parliament

House Act Date
Commons Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Act 2009 c.6 | PDF version, 697KB 02.07.2009

Latest news on the Bill

Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 2 July. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament.

Summary of the Bill

This short Bill enables the UK to ratify two international agreements to protect humanitarian workers and military medical personnel: the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions; and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

Key areas:
  • Sanctions the Red Crystal as a new symbol to protect humanitarian personnel in armed conflict where the existing Red Cross or Red Crescent is not acceptable
  • Extends the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel to protect UN workers in two new categories: those delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance in peace-building operations, and those delivering emergency humanitarian protection.

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