,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bjf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ad1 #bjai,mr4 ,booker 7for himself and ,mr4 ,young7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,marking the #gjth anniversary of the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi1 expressing concern about significant violations of international humanitarian law on contemporary battlefields1 and encouraging ,united ,states leadership in ensuring greater respect for international humanitarian law in current conflicts1 particularly with its security partners4 ,whereas the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi1 along with their ,additional ,protocols1 are the foundation of international humanitarian law 7,,ihl71 also known as the law of armed conflict1 the body of law that seeks to ensure wars have limits2 ,whereas #bjai marks the #gjth anniversary of the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi and serves as a reminder of the importance and continued relevance of ,,ihl in a world with proliferating and protracted armed conflicts1 unprecedented displacement1 and immense suffering2 ,whereas the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi reflect more than just law2 they reflect the universal recognition that wars must be fought humanely2 ,whereas1 at its core1 ,,ihl sets out a fundamental obligation that people1 even in times of armed conflict1 must be treated with humanity2 ,whereas ,,ihl requires all parties to armed conflicts1 whether states or non-state armed groups1 to comply with rules and basic principles that seek to preserve the lives and dignity of human beings1 such as that3 civilians and civilian objects must not be targeted2 hospitals and medical personnel must be respected and must not be attacked2 no one shall be subjected to torture or other forms of ill treatment2 and rape and other forms of sexual violence are prohibited2 ,whereas today's conflicts are marred by significant violations of ,,ihl1 the effects of which are apparent across armed conflicts1 from restrictions on humanitarian access contributing to the world's worst cholera outbreak in ,yemen1 to the use of chemical weapons in ,syria1 in addition to attacks against civilians1 and attacks on medical personnel and health facilities2 to the ,islamic ,state's use of civilians as human shields2 to widespread killings1 sexual violence1 and forced displacement in countries such as ,nigeria1 ,south ,sudan1 the ,democratic ,republic of the ,congo1 ,somalia1 and elsewhere2 ,whereas people detained in armed conflict1 including prisoners of war 7,p,o,ws71 often suffer torture1 abuse1 and inhumane living conditions1 such as insufficient food1 water1 and health services2 ,whereas1 while many states have taken significant steps to ensure humane treatment of detainees1 and adequate living conditions1 many others still fail to comply with basic standards of treatment and care as required by ,,ihl2 ,whereas1 as mandated by the ,geneva ,conventions1 the ,international ,committee of the ,red ,cross 7,,icrc7 plays a vital role in visiting detainees in situations of armed conflict with a view to preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment1 preventing disappearances1 improving overall detention conditions1 maintaining family contacts1 and promoting judicial guarantees2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has an expressed preference for pursuing its military objectives by1 with1 and through its security partners in some parts of the world1 but state militaries and non-state armed groups with which the ,united ,states partners may lack sufficient commitment to ,,ihl principles or capabilities to conduct their operations in a manner that effectively minimizes civilian harm2 ,whereas it is essential1 as a critical component of its policies and diplomatic relations1 that the ,united ,states affirms its commitment to not only respect the rules of ,,ihl but to ensure respect by its partners and adopt policies conditioning its security assistance in this regard2 ,whereas1 as the nature of warfare changes1 ,,ihl remains relevant to ensure wars are fought with limits2 ,whereas ,,ihl was created to respond to new developments and domains in warfare1 such as cyber operations1 and new challenges do not undermine the importance or relevance of ,,ihl1 but rather call for affirming1 applying1 and ensuring compliance with ,,ihl2 ,whereas sweeping counterterrorism measures and country-based sanctions have sometimes impeded neutral1 impartial lifesaving humanitarian action in countries like ,somalia and ,syria2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has a long tradition of implementing and upholding ,,ihl1 not just as a matter of legal obligation but also because respect for human life and protecting the vulnerable reflects the best traditions of a professional military force2 ,whereas ,united ,states senior military leadership often publicly recognizes that minimizing civilian harm is central to mission effectiveness and therefore serves the ,united ,states national security interests2 and ,whereas1 as long as armed conflict remains a reality1 there must also be a limit to suffering1 and ,,ihl1 as outlined #gj years ago in the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi1 sets out these limits3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,senate that-- 7#a7 upon the #gjth anniversary of the four ,geneva ,conventions of #aidi1 respect for international humanitarian law 7,,ihl7 remains critical to upholding humanity in war1 protecting people affected by war1 and preventing suffering2 7#b7 the ,executive branch and ,congress must ensure that the ,united ,states ,government1 as the largest donor of lifesaving humanitarian aid-- 7,a7 does not employ counterterrorism measures or other sanctions that unduly impede lifesaving humanitarian action and thereby jeopardize vulnerable people's access to resources critical to their survival2 and 7,b7 upholds the longstanding ,united ,states commitment to supporting principled humanitarian action2 and 7#c7 the ,united ,states must continue to be a global leader in promoting and ensuring compliance with ,,ihl by upholding high standards of conduct within the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces1 taking stronger measures to ensure compliance with ,,ihl by ,united ,states security partners1 holding perpetrators of violations of ,,ihl accountable1 and seeking compliance with ,,ihl by all parties to armed conflict4