1977 Protocol II to Geneva Conventions
The Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts expands the remit of the Laws of Armed Conflict to civil wars. It put forwards a number of rights which must be guaranteed for non-combatants or former combatants who are in a zone of non-international armed conflict. These include the right to education and special protection for children under the age of fifteen, the provision of food and drinking water to the same level as local civilians, and the freedom to continue practising their religion. The Protocol Additional importantly stipulates that all civilians and combatants which have been captured must be treated humanely and not be collectively punished, enslaved, raped, or indecently assaulted. Although the Protocol Additional does not directly prohibit the use of certain weapons, it does make reference to the prohibition of attack or threats of attacks which are designed to cause terror to civilians. This could include, for example, indiscriminate weapons such as chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, although the Protocol Additional does not explicitly name them.