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Red Cross law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2010

François Bugnion
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Extract

The International Committee is a Red Cross institution. It takes part in the deliberations of the International Conferences and other statutory bodies of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement of which it is the founder; but it may also be subject to rules laid down by those statutory bodies.

Type
International Conferences and the Movement
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 35 , Issue 308 , October 1995 , pp. 491 - 519
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1995

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References

1 To conform to current usage, the expressions “constituent parts”, “components” and “constituent members” are used to denote the member institutions of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which are the National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; the term “statutory bodies” is used for the Movement's collective bodies, i.e. the International Conference, the Council of Delegates and the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Although the States party to the Geneva Conventions also take part in International Conferences, they are not members of the Movement, as is made clear in Article 2 of the Movement's Statutes (see International Review of the Red Cross — IRRC, No. 256, January–February 1987, p. 29).Google Scholar In accordance with a century-old custom, the term “International Red Cross” — or, more simply, “Red Cross” — is used to mean the entire Movement where such use creates no confusion.

2 Perruchoud, Richard, Les Résolutions des Conférences internationales de la Croix-Rouge, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1979 (hereafter: Perruchoud, Les Résolutions), pp. 46–48 Google Scholar, 394–395.

3 Resolutions of the Geneva International Conference of 1863, Article 9, International Red Cross Handbook, 12th ed., ICRC-League, Geneva, 1983, p. 548.Google Scholar

4 Ibid., Article 3, p. 547.

5 Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, October 1986, IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 25–44.Google Scholar

6 Articles 8 to 11.

7 Circulars from the Prussian Central Committee, 23 November 1868 and 1 March 1869 Google Scholar, Compte rendu des Travaux de la Conférence Internationale tenue à Berlin du 22 au 27 avril 1869 par les Délégues des Gouvernements signataires de la Convention de Genève et des Sociétés et Associations de Secours aux Militaires blessés et malades, Starcke, J.-F., Berlin, 1869 (hereafter: Compte rendu, 1869) pp. 3–5, 7–9.Google Scholar

8 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 46–49, 394–397.

9 Ibid., p. 48.

10 Articles 12–15 of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

11 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 63–65.

12 Articles 16–19 of the Movement's Statutes.

13 Draudt, Colonel and Huber, Max, “Rapport à la XIIIe Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge sur les statuts de la Croix-Rouge internationale”, Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge (R1CR), No. 119, November 1928, pp. 991–1010 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Treizième Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à La Haye du 23 au 27 octobre 1928, Compte rendu, pp. 12–19, 48–75, 85, 101–114, 117–118, 182–186; Statuts de la Croix-Rouge internationale et Règlement de la Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge, Projet de Révision, submitted by the Standing Commission to the Eighteenth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, 7 December 1951 (Document A.18/1952, cyclostyled, 16 pages); XVIIIth International Red Cross Conference, Toronto, July-August 1952, Proceedings, pp. 33–39, 96–101, 161–164; Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, October 1986, Revision of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and of the Rules of Procedure of the International Conference of the Red Cross, Drafts prepared by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, April 1986, cyclostyled; Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, 23–31 October 1986, Report, pp. 121–122, 166; Statutes and Rules of Procedure of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross at Geneva in October 1986), IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 25–59; Durand, André, History of the International Committee of the Red Cross — from Sarajevo to Hiroshima, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1984 (hereafter: Durand, ICRC history), pp. 139–162 Google Scholar, 166–171, 174–194; Durand, André, “Origin and evolution of the Statutes of the International Red Cross”, IRRC, No. 235, July-August 1983, pp. 175–208 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 102–108; Jacques Moreillon, “Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge et la revision des Statuts de la Croix-Rouge internationale”, in: Völkerrecht im Dienste des Menschen, Festschrift für Hans Haug, Hangartner, Yvo and Trechsel, Stefan, eds., Haupt, Paul, Bern & Stuttgart, 1986, pp. 179–194.Google Scholar

14 The draft was adopted unanimously, with five abstentions; four National Societies expressed reservations over one of the articles — Treizième Conférence Internationale de la Croix-Rouge, Compte rendu, pp. 12–19, 48–75, 85, 101–114, 117–118, 182–186.

15 The Toronto Conference adopted the revised statutes by 70 votes to 17. The governments and National Societies of the socialist countries voted against the revision to mark their opposition to the fact that the new statutes formally acknowledged the ICRC's possession of duties and rights which, these delegations believed, could be enjoyed only by an international organization —XVIIIth International Red Cross Conference, Proceedings, pp. 33–39, 96–101 and 161–164.

16 Decision No. 2 of the League's Executive Council, meeting in Geneva on 23 and 24 April 1982, copy attached to internal note No. 1362 of 21 May 1982, ICRC Archives, file 010.

17 Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, October 1986, Revision of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and of the Rules of Procedure of the International Conference of the Red Cross, Drafts prepared by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, April 1986, cyclostyled.

18 Resolution XXXI, Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva, 23–31 October 1986, Report, pp. 121–122, 166.

19 Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross at Geneva in October 1986), IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 25–59.

20 Ibid., pp. 32–34.

21 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, p. 106.

22 Ibid.

23 Article 4, point 9, of the Movement's Statutes — IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 34.

24 This would be contrary to the precept of the equality of the National Societies, an element of the Movement's Fundamental Principle of universality — ibid., p. 28.

25 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 107–108; see also Werner, Auguste-Raynald, La Croix-Rouge et les Conventions de Genève, Georg & Cie, Geneva, 1943, p. 79.Google Scholar

26 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, p. 108.

27 “The States Parties to the Geneva Conventions co-operate with the components of the Movement in accordance with these Conventions, the present Statutes and the resolutions of the International Conference” — Article 2, para. 1, of the Statutes, IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 29.Google Scholar

28 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, p. 108.

29 Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross, Verbatim Report, Prague, 1961, ICRC, Geneva, 1961 Google Scholar (Document 795b), cyclostyled, pp. 12–46 and Annexes 1–11; XXth International Conference of the Red Cross, Vienna, October 2–9, 1965, Report, pp. 51–52, 99–100; Gustave Moynier, “Ce que c'est que la Croix-Rouge”, Bulletin international des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge, No. 21, January 1875, pp. 1–8 Google Scholar; Huber, Max, La pensée et l'action de la Croix-Rouge, Geneva, ICRC, 1954 Google Scholar; Pictet, Jean S., Red Cross Principles, Geneva, ICRC, 1966 Google Scholar, and The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross, Commentary, Dunant, Henry Institute.Geneva, 1979 Google Scholar; Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 129–139; Hans Haug, Humanity for all — The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, Paul Haupt, Bern, Stuttgart, Vienna, 1993, pp. 443–490.Google Scholar

30 Compte rendu, 1869, pp. 80–84 Google Scholar, 264.

31 Organisation générate et programme de la Croix-Rouge (d'apràs les décisions prises dans les Conférences internationales par les fondateurs et les représentants de cette institution), 2nd ed., ICRC, Geneva, 1898, pp. 25–26.Google Scholar

32 Moynier, Gustave, “Ce que c'est que la Croix-Rouge”, Bulletin international, No. 21, January 1875, pp. 1–8 Google Scholar; Durand, André, “Quelques remarques sur l'élaboration des principes de la Croix-Rouge chez Gustave Moynier”, Studies and essays on international humanitarian law and Red Cross principles in honour of Jean Pictet, Swinarski, Christophe, ed., ICRC, Geneva, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1984, pp. 861–873.Google Scholar

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

34 International Red Cross Handbook, p. 498.

35 Ibid., p. 409.

36 Board of Governors, XlXth meeting, Oxford, 1946, Resolution 12, revised by Resolution 7 of the XXth meeting, Stockholm, 1948, International Red Cross Handbook, pp. 549–552.

37 XVIIIth International Red Cross Conference, Proceedings, pp. 112–113, 148 (Resolution 10).

38 Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross, Verbatim Report, Prague, 1961, p. 46.

39 Resolution VIII, XXth International Conference of the Red Cross, Report, pp. 51 -52, 99–100.

40 IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, pp. 27–28.Google Scholar

41 Ibid.

42 Article 4, point 10, of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, ibid., p. 32.

43 Article 81, paras. 2 and 3, of Protocol I.

44 Official Records of the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law applicable in Armed Conflicts (Geneva, 1974–1977), Federal Political Department, Bern, 1978, vol. VIII, pp. 389–390.Google Scholar

45 IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 30.Google Scholar

46 Aide-memoire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Kampuchea to the joint ICRC/UNICEF mission, 28 September 1979, ICRC Archives, file 280 (180).

47 Record of a meeting with Hun Sen, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, 14 October 1979, ICRC Archives, file 280 (180).

48 Back from the Brink, report by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the joint ICRC/UNICEF operation in Thailand and Kampuchea, ICRC, Geneva, 1981 Google Scholar; Black, Maggie, The children and the nations. The story of UNICEF, UNICEF, New York, 1986, pp. 378–407 Google Scholar; Shawcross, William, The quality of mercy. Cambodia, holocaust and modern conscience, André Deutsch, London, 1984.Google Scholar

49 International Court of Justice, Case concerning military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua, Merits, Judgment of 27 June 1986, ICJ Reports 1986, pp. 14–150, at p. 115.

50 IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 38.Google Scholar

51 The principal reference work is Perruchoud, Richard, Les résolutions des Conférences Internationales de la Croix-Rouge, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1979 Google Scholar. On the legal effects of the resolutions of international organizations, see: Cahier, Philippe “Le droit interne des organisations internationales”, Revue générale de Droit international public, 1963, 67e année, vol. 3, pp. 563–602 Google Scholar (hereafter: Cahier, “Le droit interne”); Jorge Castañeda, “Valeur juridique des résolutions des Nations Unies”, Collected courses of the Hague Academy of International Law, 1970, tome 129, vol. I, pp. 205–331 Google Scholar; Reuter, Paul, Institutions internationales, 7th ed., Presses universitaires de France, Paris, 1972, p. 213 ff.Google Scholar; Rousseau, Charles, Droit international public, tome I, Sirey, Paris, 1970, pp. 433–443 Google Scholar; Skubiszewski, Krzysztof, “A new source of the law of nations : Resolutions of international organisations”, in: En hommage à Paul Guggenheim, Faculté de Droit de l'Université de Genàve et Institut universitaire de Hautes Etudes internationales, Geneva, 1968, pp. 508–520 Google Scholar (hereafter: Skubiszewski, “A new source”); Virally, Michel, “La valeur juridique des recommandations des organisations internationales”, Annuaire français de droit international, vol. II, 1956, pp. 66–96 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and “The sources of international law”, Manual of public international law, Sørensen, Max, ed., Macmillan, London, 1968, pp. 116–174 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, esp. pp. 157–165.

52 International Court of Justice, Reparation for injuries suffered in the service of the United Nations, Advisory Opinion of April 11th, 1949, ICJ Reports 1949, pp. 175–188,Google Scholar esp. pp. 180–182.

53 Cahier, “Le droit interne”, p. 578; Reuter, Institutions internationales, p. 215.

54 Cahier, “Le droit interne”, pp. 583 and 587; Reuter, Institutions Internationales, p. 225; Skubiszewski, “A new source”, p. 510.

55 Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, IRRC, No. 256, January-February 1987, p. 37.Google Scholar

56 Treizième Conférence Internationale de la Croix-Rouge, Compte rendu, p. 104.

57 Pernichoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 110–129.

58 Ibid., pp. 231–233. The Principles and Rules for Red Cross Disaster Relief were adopted by the XXIst International Conference (Istanbul, 1969), amended by the XXIInd (Tehran, 1973), by the XXIIIrd (Bucharest, 1977) and by the XXIVth (Manila, 1981). They appear in the International Red Cross Handbook, pp. 488–494. The Principles and Rules were further amended by the Twenty-fifth International Conference — Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, Report, p. 167.

59 Perruchoud, Les Résolutions, pp. 144–163.

60 International Court of Justice, South-West Africa — Voting Procedure, Advisory Opinion of June 7th, 1955, separate opinion of Judge Lauterpacht, ICJ Reports 1955, pp. 118–119.

61 A list of resolutions passed by International Conferences of the Red Cross and applicable to non-international armed conflicts appears on pp. 439–441 of the author's work Le Comite international de la Croix-Rouge et la protection des victimes de la guerre, ICRC, Geneva, 1994.Google Scholar

62 In this respect, particular reference should be made to Resolution IV/3 of the Berlin Conference (1869) concerning the creation of an information agency; Resolution VI of the Washington Conference (1912) concerning assistance to prisoners of war, and Resolution XIV of the Geneva Conference (1921) concerning the work of the Red Cross in the event of civil war.