The Geneva Conventions (Geneva Conventions) set the standard for international law on the treatment of war-torn and war-affected people . It has four formal agreements and three additional protocols. In fact , as a singular term, the Geneva Conventions refer to a treaty of 1949 , which was executed in response to and after World War II. The fourth treaty was added to this treaty and the first three treaties (184 , 1906 , 1929) were updated. Various articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) define in detail the fundamental rights of persons held in wartime or in military conflict. It has established security measures for the wounded and civilians in and around the war zone. These 1949 treaties were formally ratified by 194 countries, either in full or with reservations.