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Dissemination of the humanitarian rules and cooperation with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the purpose of prevention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2010

Jean-Luc Chopard
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Extract

When it was founded, the ICRC, recognizing the unpredictable and inescapable nature of war, hoped that it would be able to alleviate the most harmful effects of war by providing protection and assistance and raising awareness1 of international humanitarian law and the need to respect it. Thus all the activities undertaken by the institution are rooted in the reality of war — the degree of medical assistance and relief, for example, depends on the number of victims, while protection for prisoners is specifically given to “persons detained because of the situation”. Similarly, the ICRC's Central Tracing Agency forwards family messages when normal communication channels are severed, traces people who have gone missing because of the conflict, and reunites family members separated by the events. The only ICRC activities that are not exclusively a response to needs resulting from war are the dissemination of knowledge of humanitarian law and principles, and cooperation with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Type
Dissemination and Preventive Action
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 35 , Issue 306 , June 1995 , pp. 244 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1995

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References

1 In 1869, the final resolution of the 2nd International Conference of the Red Cross stipulated that “Knowledge of the Articles of the Geneva Convention must be disseminated as widely as possible, particularly among soldiers”.

2 Under the Geneva Conventions and the Protocols, the dissemination of humanitarian law is primarily the responsibility of the States, which, by becoming party to these instruments, undertake to spread knowledge of the law and to respect it. At the same time it is up to the ICRC to support these efforts, in accordance with the particular responsibility assigned to it by the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Art. 5, paras a) and g)).

3 See article by F. Grünewald in this issue of the Review, pp. 263–281.Google Scholar

4 It should be noted that the ICRC finds it difficult to work in densely populated, poverty-stricken areas such as shanty towns. In Peru, for example, the delegation was forced to abandon its aid to victims of the violence that flared in the slums of Lima, since to assist such a small percentage of the population while two million other people all around were living below the poverty line would have been unthinkable. Yet identity conflicts and civil wars typically thrive in such surroundings.

5 See Robert Kaplan's analysis of new types of conflicts, “The coming anarchy” in Atlantic Monthly, 02 1994, pp. 44–76.Google Scholar

6 Dr Wilhelm Höynck, Secretary General of the CSCE, “CSCE works to develop its conflict prevention potential”, NATO Review, 04 1994, pp. 16–22.Google Scholar

7 Emphasis should be placed on the word preventive since, in time of conflict, dissemination also has operational objectives such as guaranteeing the safety of humanitarian activities and personnel, and facilitating access to victims.

8 In particular, we might recall the role of the ICRC during the Cuba crisis (1962), in Santo Domingo (1965), and in El Salvador (1989).

9 See the Handbook for the peaceful settlement of differences between States, United Nations, New York, 1992.Google Scholar

10 See the document Minorities and prevention of conflicts: role of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1993, pp. 34–38.Google Scholar

11 See Articles 3 and 6 of the Statutes of the Movement.

12 For further details of these various experiences, see Minorities and prevention of conflicts, op. cit., pp. 22–29.Google Scholar

13 See in particular: To Promote Peace — Resolutions on peace adopted by the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent since 1921 and the reports of the World Red Cross Conferences on Peace (Belgrade, 11–13 June 1975, and Aaland/Stockholm, 2–7 September 1984).

14 In the following lines, the question of cooperation has been deliberately left to one side. In a situation of armed violence, cooperation with the National Societies focuses on their emergency preparedness by developing their capacity for remedial action (first aid, evacuation of the injured, etc.), rather than for the preventive action which is the subject of the present article. However, it remains important to find a means of ensuring that remedial action in emergency situations is also of long-term benefit in reinforcing the respective Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.

15 David, Eric, Principes de droit des conflits armés, Bruylant, Brussels, 1994, p. 533.Google Scholar

16 Ibid, p. 535.

17 Report of the World Bank Seminar, Demobilization and Reintegration Programs for Military Personnel, Paris, 28 10 1994.Google Scholar