The thirty-third plenary meeting under the presidency of Mr. Pierre Graber, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Political Department, denoted the end of the third session of the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of Humanitarian Law in Geneva on 11 June 1976.

In May the ICRC delegate-general for Africa, Mr. F. Schmidt, accompanied by the regional delegate for Southern Africa, Mr. N. de Rougemont, and a medical delegate, Dr. A. Vischer, carried out a new series of visits to places of detention in Rhodesia.

Upon his retirement as President of the International Committee of the Red Cross at the end of June, a position in which he had served since July 1973, Mr. Eric Martin was elected an honorary member of the ICRC. The appointment was made by the ICRC at its meeting on 30 June. In granting him the honour, the Committee expressed its gratitude for the distinction and devotion he had displayed during his presidency, noting that he had carried out important missions in various countries and had worked unceasingly to increase respect, even in difficult situations, for the emblem of the red cross, a symbol of humanity.

As a token of gratitude for his untiring work to ensure that Henry Dunant is honoured at Heiden, the ICRC awarded Mr Jakob Haug its silver medal.

In a declaration dated 29 April 1976, reaching the Swiss Government on 21 May 1976, the Government of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe notified the Federal Council of its accession to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. This accession takes effect from 21 November 1976.