In 1957, at the time of the XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross (New Delhi), 69 States were parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949, which they had ratified or to which they had acceded. On December 31st 1964, 100 States were formally bound by these Conventions, 87 following ratification or accession and 13 by a formal declaration of continuity (in respect of ratification by the sovereign Power of their territory prior to independence). Other recently independent States can be considered as bound for the same reason, even if they have not addressed a declaration of continuity to the Swiss Federal Council, which is responsible for the Conventions. It is none the less desirable that they should make this declaration or, if they prefer, deposit new instruments of accession in due form.

In its Circular No. 456 of August 23, 1964, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to invite the Central Committees of National Societies to send in the names of nurses and voluntary aids whom they judged qualified to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. This invitation, which quoted Article 1 of the Regulations, was accompanied by questionnaires bearing various headings for the candidatures.

The General Delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Asia, Mr. Andre" Durand, went on mission to Cambodia from March 8 to the beginning of April 1965.

At its plenary session on April 1, 1965, the International Committee elected Mr. Adolphe Graedel as a new member.

Anxious always to be in a position to assume and carry out effectively the humanitarian tasks incumbent on it as a neutral intermediary in time of war and internal disorder, the International Committee of the Red Cross decided to train staff and future delegates. We must not forget that circumstances sometimes arise when the ICRC is suddenly confronted with a considerably increased task which necessitates its supplementing its permanent personnel, sometimes from one day to the next. For this reason it organized at its Geneva headquarters a fortnight's course, the start of which on March 22 last was mentioned in a previous edition of the International Review.

The Neutral Commission, appointed by the ICRC to determine claims by the victims of psendo-medical experiments practised in German concentration camps and to whom the German Federal republic had decided to allocate compensation, met on April 8, 9 and 10 in Geneva.

Mrs. Z., of Silesian origin, married and living in Australia, had had no news of her father since 1940 when he had enlisted in the German army. Shortly afterwards, her mother divorced and then remarried. She herself, whilst still a child, had been sent to Germany.