Geneva Conventions translated into Amharic

The Geneva Conventions have been published in Amharic – the first time ever they have been officially translated into an African language. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) presented the 245-page document to the president of Ethiopia on Wednesday. The four 1949 Geneva Conventions set out humanitarian rules for armed conflict and are the cornerstone of international humanitarian law. After accepting the book, President Girma Woldegiorgis reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to international human rights laws. "I wish to reiterate Ethiopia’s support to the promotion and protection of principles of international humanitarian laws," he said. The translation was prepared by the Ethiopian foreign ministry, Addis Ababa University and the ICRC over a period of two years. The president said the ICRC had been at the forefront in promoting international humanitarian laws and had always retained its neutrality. "The ICRC has played an important advocacy role to see to it that international humanitarian rules and principles be the norms for preserving human dignity. Ethiopia is convinced that it is necessary that a neutral institution exist in this very delicate area for caring for those whose fate is affected by wars and conflicts," said the president. He added that Ethiopia had had the "misfortune" to fight a war, and had thereby realised the crucial role the ICRC and Geneva Conventions play. ICRC Vice-President Professor Jacques Forster, during a five-day tour of Ethiopia, said translating the conventions into an African language marked an important milestone. "This is an historical occasion, because this is the first translation of the Geneva Conventions in Amharic," he said. "It is also a pioneer project because it is the first time the Geneva conventions are translated into an African national language.” Some 189 states are party to the Geneva Conventions, including Ethiopia, which joined in 1969 and signed up to the additional protocols in 1994. The Swiss government has also ratified the Amharic document in accordance with international laws.