Operation Passage to Freedom the French were surrounded and defeated in a mountainous northern fortress at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. France's withdrawal from Indochina was finalised in the Geneva Accords of July 1954, after two months of negotiations between Ho's DRV, France, the PRC and the Soviet Union. Under the terms of the agreement, Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel north pending elections in 1956 to choose a national government that would administer a reunified country. The communist Viet Minh were left in control of North Vietnam, while the State of Vietnam controlled the south. French Union forces would gradually
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