Editing Fourth Geneva Convention (section)

=== Article 2: Application of the Convention ===
Article 2 states that signatories are bound by the convention both in war, [[armed conflict]]s where [[Declaration of war|war has not been declared]], and in an [[Military occupation|occupation]] of another country's territory.

{{blockquote|In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peacetime, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them.}}

The scope of Article 2 is broad:

{{blockquote|Although one of the Powers in conflict may not be a party to the present Convention, the Powers who are parties thereto shall remain bound by it in their mutual relations.}}

In the commentary to the article [[Jean Pictet]] writes:

{{blockquote|1=They [conventions] are coming to be regarded less and less as contracts concluded on a basis of reciprocity in the national interests of the parties and more and more as a solemn affirmation of principles respected for their own sake, a series of unconditional engagements on the part of each of the Contracting Parties ' vis-à-vis ' the others.<ref>{{cite web|title=Treaties, States parties, and Commentaries – Geneva Convention (IV) on Civilians, 1949–53: Commentary of 1958|url=https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Comment.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=5AA133B15493D9D0C12563CD0042A15A|publisher=International Red Cross}}</ref>}}