Hague Conventions were a series of international agreements on the regulation of warfare and conflict between nations. The Hague Conventions defined a number of rules of warfare. They prohibited the seizure of private property and the use of certain types of weapons that caused unnecessary suffering. The agreements also required governments to provide prisoners of war with humane treatment, including access to food, shelter, and general care. The conventions also established the Permanent Court of Arbitration to provide a means for settling international disputes.
The Hague Conventions stemmed from two international conferences at The Hague, the seat of government of the Netherlands. The first conference took place in 1899 at the suggestion of the Russian Czar Nicholas II. Representatives from 26 nations gathered for the first conference. Seeking to build upon the efforts of the first meeting, United States President Theodore Roosevelt proposed a second conference, which the czar convened in 1907. Representatives from 44 nations attended the second conference. The conferences contributed greatly to the development of international law and to the eventual establishment of international bodies, such as the United Nations.
See also War crime .
