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The International Conferences of the Red Cross as a factor for the development of international humanitarian law and the cohesion of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2010

Philippe Abplanalp
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Extract

The 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent will take place in Geneva in December 1995. This Conference, which meets every few years, is unquestionably the most important forum for addressing humanitarian issues. It is also a source of cohesion between States and the various components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, whose history since its inception has been closely linked with Geneva. The 26th International Conference should have been held in Budapest in 1991, but was unfortunately postponed owing to political problems. As a result, nine years have passed since the last Conference in 1986, which was also held in Geneva.

Type
International Conferences and the Movement
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 35 , Issue 308 , October 1995 , pp. 520 - 549
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1995

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References

1 Bugnion, François, Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge et la protection des victimes de la guerre, ICRC, Geneva, 1994, p. 415 Google Scholar (currently being translated into English with the title The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Protection of War Victims).

2 Resolutions of the Geneva International Conference of 1863, Article 9, International Red Cross Handbook, 12th edition, ICRC-League, 1983, p. 548.

3 Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, adopted by the 25th International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, October 1986, in International Review of the Red Cross (hereinafter IRRC), No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 25–44.

4 Circulars from the Central Prussian Committee, 23 November 1986 and 1 March 1869, Compte rendu des Travaux de la Conférence internationale tenue à Berlin du 22 au 27 avril 1869 par les Délégués des Gouvernements signataires de la Convention de Genève et des Sociétés et Associations de Secours aux Militaires blessés et malades, printed by J.-F. Starcke, Berlin, 1869 (hereinafter: Deuxième Conférence internationale), pp. 7–9.

5 Perruchoud, Richard, Les Résolutions des Conférences internationales de la Croix-Rouge, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1979, pp. 46–49 Google Scholar and 394–397.

6 Idem, p. 48.

7 Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Article 10, IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 37–38.

8 Idem, p. 39.

9 See text in the International Red Cross Handbook, op. cit., pp. 547–548.

10 Boissier, Pierre, From Solferino to Tsushima: History of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Vol. I, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1985, p. 80.Google Scholar

11 Conférences internationales des Sociétés de Secours aux Blessés militaires des Armées de Terre et de Mer, tenues à Paris, 2nd edition, Commission générale des Délégués and Imprimerie Baillière & Fils, Paris, 1867 (hereinafter: Première Conférence internationale, Compte rendu), pp. 140–150 and 247–250; Deuxième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, pp. 93–119 and 249–251; Cinquième Conférence internationale des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Rome du 21 au 27 avril 1892, Compte rendu, printed by Forzani, Rome, 1892, pp. 65–91, 214–229 and 409; Sixième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge, Vienne, 1897, Austrian Red Cross Society, 1898, pp. 80–85, 175–181 and 247.

12 Première Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, pp. 338–348.

13 Resolution IV/3, Deuxième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, p. 254.

14 Septième Confèrence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue a Saint-Pétersbourg du 16 au 22 mai 1902, Compte rendu, Russian Committee of the Red Cross Society, St. Petersburg, 1902, pp. 46–51.

15 Neuvième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Washington du 7 au 17 mai 1912, The American Red Cross, Washington, 1912 (hereinafter: Neuvième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu), p. 318.

16 Bugnion, op. cit., pp. 80–87.

17 Neuvième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, p. 318.

18 Rapport général du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge sur son activité de 1912 à 1920, Geneva, ICRC, 1921, 259 pages.

19 Résolution XV, Dixième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Genève du 30 mars au 7 avril 1921, Compte rendu, Geneva, ICRC, 1921 (hereinafter: Dixième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu), pp. 218–221.

20 XIe Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge, Code des prisonniers de guerre, pp. 16–42; Onzième Conférence internationale tenue à Genéve du 28 août au 1er septembre 1923, Compte rendu, p. 198 (Resolution III).

21 Rapport général du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge sur son activité de 1912 à 1920, pp. 173–176.

22 Resolution XV, Dixième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, pp. 218–221.

23 Resolution VIII, Onzième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu, p. 200–201.

24 Resolution XII, Douzième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Genève du 7 au 10 octobre 1925, Compte rendu, Geneva, ICRC, 1925 (hereinafter: Douzième Conférence internationale, Compte rendu), pp. 142–145 and 172–173.

25 15th International Conference of the Red Cross, Draft Convention on the Status and Protection of Civilians of Enemy Nationality on the Territory of a Belligerent or on a Territory Occupied By It (Document No. 9), Geneva, ICRC, 1934 (hereinafter: Tokyo Draft), 14 pages.

26 Articles 1 to 25 of the Tokyo Draft.

27 Resolution XXXIX, Quinzième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Tokyo du 20 au 29 octobre 1934, Compte rendu, Tokyo, Red Cross Society of Japan, 1934, pp. 202–209 and 262–268.

28 Durand, Andrè, From Sarajevo to Hiroshima: History of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Vol. II, Geneva, Henry Dunant Institute, 1984, p. 292.Google Scholar

29 Resolution XIX (Draft International Conventions), 17th International Conference of the Red Cross, Stockholm, 20–30 August 1948, Report, Swedish Red Cross, Stockholm, 1948, pp. 92–93.

30 In the presence of 277 delegates representing 59 States, the ICRC and League experts were able to take part in the deliberations of the Conference, whereas the United Nations and other specialized agencies were admitted with observer status.

31 Resolution XIII, XXIInd International Conference of the Red Cross, Teheran 8–15 November 1973, Report, Teheran, Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran, 1973, pp. 122–123.

32 IRRC, No. 207, November-December 1978, p. 336.

33 Date on which Micronesia became party to the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols.

34 Resolution III (Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols), 23rd International Conference, Bucharest, 1977; Resolution VII (Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions), 24th International Conference, Manila, 1981; Resolution II (Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions), 25th International Conference (Geneva, 1986).

35 Neuvieme Conference Internationale, Compte rendu, pp. 44–48.

36 Idem, pp. 47 and 199–208.

37 The National Societies of Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia (former organization), Turkey and Ukraine.

38 Dixième Conférence Internationale, Compte rendu, p. 159.

39 For instance, during the Upper Silesian conflict in 1921 and the Spanish civil war of 1936–1939.

40 Bugnion, op. cit., p. 301.

41 The Sino-Japanese war, the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland crisis were already foreshadowing the profound upheavals that led to the Second World War.

42 Resolution XIV, 16th International Conference of the Red Cross, London, 20–24 June 1938, Report, The British Red Cross Society, London, 1938, pp. 85–87 and 104.

43 Bugnion, op. cit., p. 418.

44 André Durand, op. cit., describes the history of these negotiations, pp. 139–194.

45 The draft was adopted unanimously with five abstentions; four National Societies expressed reservations over one of the articles — Treizieme Conference Internationale de la Croix-Rouge, tenue à La Haye du 23 au 27 octobre 1928, Compte rendu, Imprimerie nationale, The Hague, 1929, pp. 12–19, 48–75, 85, 101–114, 117–118 and 182–186.

46 Frédéric Siordet, “La XVIIe Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge”, Revue Internationale de la Croix-Rouge (hereinafter RICR), No. 405, September 1952, pp. 761–762.

47 Resolution XXXI, 25th International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, 23–31 October 1986, Report, Swiss Red Cross, Bern, 1986, pp. 121–122 and 166.

48 See Bugnion, op. cit., pp. 418–424.

49 Statins du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge, 10 mars 1921, Article 3, RICR, No. 28, April 1921, pp. 379–380.

50 Resolution VIII, 20th International Conference of the Red Cross, Report, pp. 51–52 and 99–100.

51 See Article 11 (4) of the 1986 Statutes of the Movement, IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 38.

52 Dates of foundation and of recognition by the ICRC of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (internal document of the Division for Principles and Relations with the Movement), Geneva, ICRC, June 1994, p. 10.

53 Resolution XI (c) (Conditions for the recognition of National Societies), 17 th International Conference, Stockholm, 1948. The International Red Cross Handbook may be consulted for the text of the ten conditions for recognition (pp. 497–498).

54 The case arises, for instance, when a National Society amends its own statutes and submits the text to the Joint ICRC-League Commission for National Society Statutes.

55 Resolution XXIV (Principles and Rules for Red Cross Disaster Relief), 21st International Conference, Istanbul, 1969.

56 Decision I, 22nd International Conference, Tehran, 1973; Decision I, 23rd International Conference, Bucharest, 1977; Decision 1,24th International Conference, Manila, 1981; Resolution XXXIII, 25th International Conference, Geneva, 1986.

57 Resolution XXIV of the 17 th International Conference of the Red Cross, Stockholm, 1948; Resolution XXVIII of the 18th Conference, Toronto, 1952; Resolution XVIII of the 19th Conference, New Delhi, 1957; Resolution XXVIII of the 20th Conference, Vienna, 1965; Resolution XIV of the 21st Conference, Istanbul, 1967; Resolution XIV of the 22nd Conference, Tehran, 1973; Resolution XII of the 23rd Conference, Bucharest, 1977, and Resolution XIII of the 24th Conference, Manila, 1981.

58 See inter alia Resolution XXXVII (The Red Cross as a Factor for World Peace), 19th International Conference, New Delhi, 1957; Resolution X (The Red Cross as a Factor in World Peace), 20th International Conference, Vienna, 1965; Resolution XXI (The Red Cross as a Factor in World Peace), 21st International Conference, Istanbul, 1969; Resolutions XXVI and XXVII (Role of the Movement and Peace), 25th International Conference, Geneva, 1986.

59 Resolution XXXIV (Campaign against Prejudice and Discrimination), 19th International Conference, New Delhi, 1957; Resolution X (Elimination of Racial Discrimination), 22nd Conference, Tehran, 1973.

60 Only the Council of Delegates was able to meet and discuss some of the items on the Conference's agenda.

61 Yves Sandoz, “Apropos of the postponement of the 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent”, IRRC, No. 286, January-February 1992, p. 6.

62 Yves Sandoz, “The 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: Myth and Reality”, IRRC, No. 305, March–April 1995, pp. 129–136.