Independence Palace its position as the office of the French colonists. On 7 May 1954, France surrendered to the Việt Minh after its defeat at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ. France agreed to sign the Geneva Accords and withdrew its troops from Vietnam. According to the accords, Vietnam would be divided pending general elections. The 17th Parallel would act as the temporary border until a vote based on universal suffrage was held to establish a unified Vietnamese government. North Vietnam was under the control of the Việt Minh communists, while South Vietnam was under the anti-communist State of Vietnam. On 7
Geneva Call their commitments. They cannot become parties to relevant international treaties, and are generally precluded from participating in norm-making processes. Consequently,they may not feel bound to abide by rules that they have neither put forward nor formally adhered to. Sometimes they are simply not aware of their obligations under IHL. The "Deed of Commitment" process gives them the opportunity to formally express their agreement to abide by humanitarian norms and take ownership of these rules. To date, Geneva Call has developed three such documents: Geneva Call’s mission is currently divided into four thematic issues: banning anti-personnel mines, protecting children in armed