René-Jean Wilhelm was one of the four lawyers from the International Committee of the Red Cross  (ICRC) who authored the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. He was one of the most important figures  of his generation in international humanitarian law, due to his dedication to the protection of civilians  in armed conflicts. Deeply committed to the cause, he was convinced that all civilians needed to be  protected by the Geneva Conventions. He is notably known for his leading role in the establishment  of Article III, the “mini Geneva Convention”, which represented the first set of rules of international  law applicable to conflicts of a non-international character.