International humanitarian law is a crucial part of the international law._ It defines a series of rules to protect persons who are not engaged, the surrendered combatants, and those who are no longer participating in the armed conflicts._ It is also used to restrict the means and methods of warfare._ In 1949, there were four Geneva Conventions and two additional Protocols were adopted in 1977._ They are the main documents comprising the international humanitarian law.

Only States may become parties to the international treaties and thus to the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols._ In early 2000, there were 188 member States in the world that have accepted the Geneva Conventions._ At the same time, 156 contracting States adopted the First Protocol and 149 States adopted the Second Protocol._ All the contracting States have a legal obligation of promoting the international humanitarian law and to respect it.

For many years, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been authorized by all the contracting States to strive for guiding and assisting each Sate to promote and implement the international humanitarian law._ Each national Red Cross society in every State plays an important role by helping the ICRC to promote and implement the i nternational humanitarian law within its territories.

By widely promoting the principles and treaties of the international humanitarian law, we can educate the general public, especially the young people to the thoughts of respecting and sympathizing to the warfare victims._ We believe that should more people acknowledge the international humanitarian law, there would be less violations of such law._ By doing so, the pain brought by the armed conflicts will also be diminished.