text: Chapter 1
  PROTECTING POWERS AND HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS
  1-105. LOAC contemplates protecting powers, which are neutral or non-belligerent States having
  humanitarian roles in armed conflict. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 specifically provide for protecting
  powers and contemplate the activities of humanitarian organizations.
  PROTECTING POWERS
  1-106. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 contain certain common provisions regarding the safeguarding of
  the interests of belligerents by nations designated as “Protecting Powers” (GWS art. 8; GWS Sea art. 8; GPW
  art. 8; GC art. 9).
  APPOINTMENT
  1-107. The appointment of a protecting power is a decision made by authorities at the national level. This
  appointment requires agreement between the belligerent States. The protecting power should be a neutral or
  non-belligerent with respect to the conflict. The 1949 Geneva Conventions contemplate that when
  appointment of a protecting power is not possible, States will use the International Committee of the Red
  Cross (ICRC) or other impartial humanitarian organizations to assume the humanitarian functions performed
  by a protecting power (GWS art. 10; GWS Sea art. 10; GPW art. 10; GC art. 11). However, protecting powers
  are rarely appointed specifically for the purposes of implementing the Geneva Conventions, and the ICRC
  has often performed the humanitarian functions of a protecting power under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
  ACTIVITIES
  1-108. A protecting power assists and verifies a belligerent’s compliance with the 1949 Geneva
  Conventions, including with respect to detention. For example, delegates of the protecting power visit
  interned persons and hear concerns that they raise. A protecting power also facilitates communication
  between opposing belligerents regarding treaty implementation (GPW art. 11). The protecting power’s
  activities are conducted with the consent of the State on whose territory it serves and the State whose facilities
  it visits. In addition, the protecting power must ensure that its delegation does not exceed its humanitarian
  responsibilities and takes into account the imperative necessities of security of the State wherein it carries
  out its duties (GWS art. 8; GWS Sea art. 8; GPW art. 8; GC art. 9).
  RESTRICTION ON REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROTECTING POWERS
  1-109. A belligerent may impose legitimate security restrictions on the activities of the delegates or
  representatives of the protecting powers working in its territories or facilities. However, belligerents may
  only restrict the activities of the representatives or delegates of the protecting powers “as an exceptional and
  temporary measure when this is rendered necessary by imperative military necessities” (GWS art. 8; GWS
  Sea art. 8; GPW art. 126; GC art. 143). For example, a commander may postpone a visit by protecting power
  representatives to a POW camp for security or humanitarian reasons, such as tactical movement of its own
  forces, or to protect protecting power personnel from explosive remnants of war being cleared from recent
  military operations along the route to the POW camp.
  INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS AND OTHER IMPARTIAL HUMANITARIAN
  ORGANIZATIONS
  1-110. The 1949 Geneva Conventions contemplate that the ICRC and other impartial humanitarian
  organizations may, subject to the consent of the parties to the conflict concerned, provide humanitarian aid
  and seek to ensure the protection of war victims in armed conflict (GWS art. 9; GWS Sea art. 9; GPW art. 9;
  GC art. 10).
  IMPARTIAL
  1-111. The humanitarian organization must remain impartial; impartiality distinguishes these organizations
  from humanitarian organizations that have an allegiance to a party to the conflict (such as the American Red