Since the ICRC started its action in the Asian sub-continent, the various tracing bureaux have transmitted more than 12,650,000 messages between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

By a communication dated 20 June 1973, which reached the Swiss Federal Government on the 28th of the same month, the Prime Minister of Swaziland informed the Swiss Federal Council of his country's accession to the four 1949 Geneva Conventions. This accession, which becomes effective on 28 December 1973, brings the number of States Parties to the Geneva Conventions to 135.

The definitive text of the draft Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, drawn up by the ICRC as a sequel to the two sessions of the Conference of Government Experts on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, in 1971 and 1972, have just come off the press. The text has been drafted in English, French and Spanish and may be obtained at 10 Swiss francs a copy from the ICRC Documents and Dissemination Division, 7, Avenue de la Paix, CH—1211 Geneva.

Some time ago, the ICRC medical team in Bangladesh noted that in the various non-Bengali settlements 60 to 70 per cent of the children and a large number of adults were suffering from scabies. It was decided to construct Centres for the treatment of that skin disease, and the ICRC made a substantial sum available.

During the first half of 1973, the ICRC Relief Service despatched the following consignments:

To Africa, the ICRC sent medicaments and medical equipment totalling 55,365 Swiss francs to the National Societies of Chad, the Central African Republic, Dahomey, Ethiopia, the Gambia and Rwanda, and to the GRAE (Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile). On behalf of the European Economic Community (EEC) it transmitted 120 tons of skimmed powdered milk (480,000 Swiss francs), in four consignments of 30 tons, to the National Societies of Ghana, Liberia, Mauritius and Senegal. Eight countries were the recipients of a Swiss Government donation consisting of 10 tons of unskimmed powdered milk (70,000 Swiss francs) for the Gambia, 75 tons of wheat flour (41,250 Swiss francs) for Ethiopia and a further 335 tons of wheat flour (184,250 Swiss francs) shared by the Gambia (50 tons), Kenya (75 tons), Liberia (30 tons), Mauritius (50 tons), Sierra Leone (30 tons), Swaziland (50 tons) and Tanzania (50 tons).

During 1972, the Central Tracing Agency in Geneva received 82,587 requests and communications (47,198 in 1971) and sent out 79,296 letters (50,799 in 1971). This considerable increase in the volume of work was due mainly to the conflict in the Asian subcontinent.

In the Annual Report for 1971, the ICRC announced that the presentation of the accounts for 1972 would for the first time reflect the new financial structure. The ICRC has to take into account two imperatives, namely, continuity for the financing of its permanent activities and flexibility in respect of its fluctuating activities.

As it does every year, the International Committee has published a report, with illustrations, summarizing its activities during 1972. This Annual Report, like earlier reports, is divided into four parts: practical activities, general activities, activities relating to information, and the financial position of the ICRC and the Special Funds it administers.