Section 41p. 41

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME II

identity card shall state the duties on which they are

employed.

The management of each hospital shall at all times hold

at the disposal of the competent national or occupying

authorities an up-to-date list of such personnel.

Art. 21. Convoys of vehicles or hospital trains on land or

specially provided vessels on sea, conveying wounded

and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, shall be

respected and protected in the same manner as the

hospitals provided for in Article 18, and shall be marked,

with the consent of the State, by the display of the

distinctive emblem provided for in Article 38 of the

Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition

of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of

12 August 1949.

Art.22. Aircraft exclusively employed for the removal of

wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity

cases or for the transport of medical personnel and

equipment, shall not be attacked, but shall be respected

while flying at heights, times and on routes specifically

agreed upon between all the Parties to the conflict

concerned.

They

may

be

marked

with

the

distinctive emblem

provided for in Article 38 of the Geneva Convention for

the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and

Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of 12 August 1949.

Unless agreed otherwise, flights over enemy or enemy

occupied territory are prohibited.

Such aircraft shall obey every summons to land. In the

event of a landing thus imposed, the aircraft with its

occupants may continue its flight after examination, if

any.

Art. 23. Each High Contracting Party shall allow the free

passage of all consignments of medical and hospital

stores

and

objects

necessary

for

religious

worship

intended only for civilians of another High Contracting

Party, even if the latter is its adversary. It shall likewise

permit the free passage of all consignments of essential

foodstuffs, clothing and tonics intended for children

under fifteen, expectant mothers and maternity cases.

The obligation of a High Contracting Party to allow the

free

passage

of

the consignments indicated in the

preceding paragraph is subject to the condition that this

Party is satisfied that there are no serious reasons for

fearing:

(a) that the consignments may be diverted from their

destination,

(b) that the control may not be effective, or

(c) that a definite advantage may accrue to the military

efforts

or

economy

of

the

enemy

through

the

substitution of the above-mentioned consignments for

goods which would otherwise be provided or produced

by the enemy or through the release of such material,

services or facilities as would otherwise be required for

the production of such goods.

The Power which allows the passage of the consignments

indicated in the first paragraph of this Article may make

such permission conditional on the distribution to the

persons benefited thereby being made under the local

supervision of the Protecting Powers.

Such consignments shall be forwarded as rapidly as

possible, and the Power which permits their free passage

shall

have

the

right

to

prescribe

the

technical

arrangements under which such passage is allowed.

Art.24. The Parties to the conflict shall take the necessary

measures to ensure that children under fifteen, who are

orphaned or are separated from their families as a result

of the war, are not left to their own resources, and that

their maintenance, the exercise of their religion and their

education

are

facilitated

in

all

circumstances.

Their

education shall, as far as possible, be entrusted to persons

of a similar cultural tradition.

The Parties to the conflict shall facilitate the reception of

such children in a neutral country for the duration of the

conflict with the consent of the Protecting Power, if any,

and under due safeguards for the observance of the

principles stated in the first paragraph.

They shall, furthermore, endeavour to arrange for all

children under twelve to be identified by the wearing of

identity discs, or by some other means.

Art. 25. All persons in the territory of a Party to the conflict,

or in a territory occupied by it, shall be enabled to give

news of a strictly personal nature to members of their

families, wherever they may be, and to receive news from

them. This correspondence shall be forwarded speedily

and without undue delay.

If, as a result of circumstances, it becomes difficult or

impossible to exchange family correspondence by the

ordinary post, the Parties to the conflict concerned shall

apply to a neutral intermediary, such as the Central

Agency provided for in Article 140, and shall decide in

consultation with it how to ensure the fulfilment of their

obligations

under

the

best

possible

conditions,

in

particular with the cooperation of the National Red Cross

(Red Crescent, Red Lion and Sun) Societies.

If the Parties to the conflict deem it necessary to restrict

family

correspondence,

such

restrictions

shall

be

confined

to

the

compulsory

use of standard forms

containing twenty-five freely chosen words, and to the

limitation of the number of these forms despatched to

one each month.

Art. 26. Each Party to the conflict shall facilitate enquiries

made by members of families dispersed owing to the

war, with the object of renewing contact with one

another and of meeting, if possible. It shall encourage, in

particular, the work of organizations engaged on this task

provided they are acceptable to it and conform to its

security regulations.

Part III. Status and Treatment of Protected

Persons

Section I. Provisions common to the territories of the

parties to the conflict and to occupied territories

Art.

27.

Protected

persons

are

entitled,

in

all

circumstances, to respect for their persons, their honour,

their

family

rights,

their

religious

convictions

and

practices, and their manners and customs. They shall at

all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected

especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof

and against insults and public curiosity.

Women shall be especially protected against any attack

on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced

prostitution, or any form of indecent assault.

Without prejudice to the provisions relating to their state

of health, age and sex, all protected persons shall be

treated with the same consideration by the Party to the

conflict in whose power they are, without any adverse

distinction

based,

in

particular,

on

race,

religion

or

political opinion.

However, the Parties to the conflict may take such

measures of control and security in regard to protected

persons as may be necessary as a result of the war.

Art. 28. The presence of a protected person may not be

used to render certain points or areas immune from

military operations.

Art. 29. The Party to the conflict in whose hands protected

persons

may

be,

is

responsible

for

the

treatment

accorded to them by its agents, irrespective of any

individual responsibility which may be incurred.

Art. 30. Protected persons shall have every facility for

making

application

to

the

Protecting

Powers,

the

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