During “Operation Link”, which was actively led by the ICRC as part of the overall family reunification operation, some 47,000 Germans and “ethnic Germans” (Volksdeutsche) were transferred from Poland to the Federal Republic of Germany by the end of 1949. This operation was focused on family separations that were a direct result of the war.

Two ideas generally current in the Red Cross on the question of implementation, by the National Societies, of the resolutions adopted during the International Red Cross Conferences are:

1. the resolutions are not binding;

2. the National Societies apply the resolutions voluntarily and in a satisfactory way.

Our purpose here is to examine the exactitude of these two opinions.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 15 October 1981, officially recognized the Tonga I Red Cross Society.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross has officially recognized the Qatar Red Crescent Society.

On 19 October 1981, the death occurred of Sir Geoffrey Newman-Morris, one of the best known and most popular personalities of the International Red Cross.

With deep sorrow the League of Red Cross Societies announced the death on 17 February 1982, following a serious accident, of Charles Andre Schusselé, who had been a trusted member of its staff for thirtyseven years.

On 22 March 1982, the Republic of Mauritius deposited its instruments of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International and Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocols I and II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

In February, the head of the ICRC delegation in the Republic of South Africa, Mr. N. de Rougemont, had interviews with the Minister of Police, the Commissioner of Police and senior officials of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. They discussed several points, including the possibility for ICRC delegates to visit categories of detainees not previously visited in the Republic of South Africa and to organize meetings, on the border with Angola, between delegates stationed in Windhoek and others in N'Giva (southern Angola), in order to facilitate the exchange of family messages and the dispatch of parcels to Angolan prisoners of war detained in Namibia/South-West Africa.