The High Contracting Parties,
(the signers of this document)
Proclaiming their earnest wish to see peace prevail among peoples,
(we all wish peace to prevail..yada-yada)
Recalling that every State has the duty, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to refrain in its international relations from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations,
(that outside of this Convention, all Charter states of the UN have obligated themselves to the Charter of the UN and will refrain from using force against other countries soveriegn and territorial rights)
Believing it necessary nevertheless to reaffirm and develop the provisions protecting the victims of armed conflicts and to supplement measures intended to reinforce their application,
(But knowing we are all a bunch of violent barbarians anyway and that we probably won't follow those proscriptions made upon us in the UN Charter or other international law, we must make this Convention to protect the VICTIMS [i.e. the people involed] in armed conflicts)
Expressing their conviction that nothing in this Protocol or in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 can be construed as legitimizing or authorizing any act of aggression or any other use of force inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations,
(but just by saying we are all a bunch of violent scumbags doesn't mean we are legitimizing being a violent scumbag, but just in case we are.. we have these rules)
Reaffirming further that the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and of this Protocol must be fully applied in all circumstances to all persons who are protected by those instruments, without any adverse distinction based on the nature or origin of the armed conflict or on the causes espoused by or attributed to the Parties to the conflict,
(this protects all people who are part of the contracting parties [i.e. signers] nations)
