Law of war treaties pass the Senate
Army Lawyer , Jan, 2009 by Dick Jackson
At the end of September, the Senate provided its advice and consent for five law of war treaties, many of which have been languishing in the Senate for years. The 1954 Hague Cultural Property Convention, (1) which had been recommended by President Clinton for ratification, (2) was approved with four understandings and a declaration. (3) Four protocols of the Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Convention, (4) including an extension of the CCW to all non-international armed conflicts, (5) Protocol III (Incendiaries), (6) Protocol IV (Blinding Lasers), (7) and Protocol V (Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)), (8) were also approved with a reservation and several declarations and understandings. (9) These treaties were significant in number (the most at any one time since the Hague Conventions were ratified in 1907 (10)), but also because they represent a renewed effort to assert U.S. leadership in the international community on law of war matters. They are also an example of the U.S. Government's public diplomacy efforts to portray the U.S. military as a law-abiding member of the international community. (11) When the President prepares instruments of ratification, the treaties will be filed with the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), (12) in Paris, and the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) for Disarmament.
