《日内瓦公约》提到了国际社会就公平对待战俘、受战争影响国家的平民和战时伤员达成的若干条约。第一次日内瓦国际会议于1863年举行，是对国际红十字会成立的回应。最初的灵感主要来自亨利·杜南特（Henri Dunant）的书面作品，以及他在意大利索尔费里诺战役期间的人道主义努力。

看到战斗期间和战斗结束后伤亡人数惊人，杜南特组织了镇上许多平民帮助士兵进行医疗。他进一步规定，应向伤员提供帮助，而不考虑他们战斗的“一方”。杜南特对他在索尔费里诺所做努力的书面描述激发了红十字会的成立，也是《日内瓦公约》的首批条约之一。

自第一次会议以来，又举行了几次会议，产生了构成《日内瓦公约》的四项条约和三项议定书。并非所有国家都签署了《日内瓦公约》条约，显然有些国家在战时公然违反这些条约。一些国家在签署《日内瓦公约》时有保留或声明，但大多数国家在签署条约时没有争议。

《日内瓦公约》的原则如下：

• People participating in a war are minimally bound to offer medical aid to injured soldiers of either party to a war or conflict,
• People who have surrendered may not be injured further by another side and must be treated humanely.
• Those who are not actively engaged in combat cannot be murdered, raped, tortured or mutilated.
• Any sentencing of a person accused of crimes must be done before a court.
• When possible, armistice or cease-fire should be called in order to collect the dead and wounded, especially after a battle or engagement.
• A person from the opposing side should keep a record of an injured soldier’s death to be forwarded to the country for which he/she fought.
• Establishments for the medical treatment of soldiers should never be attacked.

  The basic principals of the Geneva Convention also extend in particular to treating wounded soldiers at sea. Further, hospitals must be marked with a red cross and in plain sight so they will not be attacked. More particulars exist, but primarily these treaties exist so that captured or wounded soldiers can be treated humanely, and without prejudice.

  Those who sign the treaties of the Geneva Convention and break them are guilty of war crimes and may be tried accordingly. Such trials take place in a world court, like that of Slobodan Milošević's. These trials are normally as public as possible to ensure that impartiality in judgment exists. Being convicted of severe war crimes tends to result in execution.