The Second World Red Cross and Red Crescent Conference on Peace, held in Aaland and Stockholm from 2nd to 7th September 1984, addressed the following message to the peoples and governments of the world:

With 120 years experience in the protection and assistance of victims of armed conflicts, natural disasters and other calamities the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reaffirms that its own contribution to a true peace is expressed in its motto, “Through Humanity to Peace”.

On 29 June 1984, Belize deposited with the Swiss Government an instrument of accession to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and to the two Additional Protocols adopted on 8 June 1977.

In accordance with their provisions, the Geneva Conventions and the Protocols will come into force for Belize on 29 December 1984, six months after the date of registration.

The members of the ICRC were deeply sorry to hear, on 20 September 1984, of the sudden death of their fellow Committee member, Miss Andrée Weitzel.

Miss Weitzel had devoted almost her whole life to the problem of women in the armed forces.

Mr. Luis Alberto Monge, President of the Republic of Costa Rica, visited on 12 June 1984 the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva. He was received by the ICRC President, Mr. Alexandre Hay, and with him President Monge discussed various humanitarian issues.

The President of the ICRC, Mr. Alexandre Hay, accompanied by Mr. Jean Hoefliger, delegate-general of the ICRC for the Middle East, and by Mr. S. Nessi, chief of the Finance Division, paid a visit to Tunis from 22 to 25 March, during which he went to the headquarters of the League of Arab States. There he met the Secretary-General of the League, Mr. Chedli Klibi, together with Mr. Assad el Assad, Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Moncef el May, the League's permanent observer in Geneva, and Mr. Ahmed Harguem, chief of the Diplomatic Relations Department.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 30 August 1984, officially recognized the Red Cross Society of Western Samoa.

Founded in 1952 as an overseas branch of the New Zealand Red Cross Society and independent since 1 January 1983, the Western Samoa Red Cross Society officially applied for recognition by the International Committee of the Red Cross on 21 June 1984. Its request was supported by various documents, including a copy of the most recent report on its activities, the text of its Statutes and a copy of the “Memorandum of Understanding” of 3 November 1983, by which the Government of Western Samoa recognizes it as a voluntary aid society auxiliary to the public authorities.

On 2 September 1984, Mr. Jean Pictet celebrated his seventieth birthday; his family, friends and colleagues congratulated him and conveyed their good wishes.

Mr. Pictet joined the ICRC as legal secretary in 1937. He was later appointed Director, then Director-General; he became a member of the International Committee in 1967 and a Vice-President in 1971. Having reached retirement age, he stepped down in 1979 after 42 years of service, but remained a member of the Assembly.

The Republic of Guinea deposited with the Swiss Government, on 11 July 1984, an instrument of accession to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and to the Additional Protocols I and II adopted on 8 June 1977.

Pursuant to their provisions, the Conventions of Geneva and the Protocols will enter into force for the Republic of Guinea on 11 January 1985, i.e. six months after the date of registration.

The “Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may Be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects” entered into force on 2 December 1983, six months after twenty States had deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. The three Protocols annexed to the Convention also entered into force on that date; Protocol I prohibits the use of weapons with non-detectable fragments, Protocol II prohibits or limits the use of mines, booby-traps and other devices, and Protocol III prohibits or limits the use of incendiary weapons.

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition of the Belize Red Cross Society by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The recognition is effective as of 15 March 1984 and brings to 132 the number of National Society members of the International Red Cross.

At its last session of the year, on 7 and 8 December 1983, the Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross took leave of four of its members: Mr. Hans-Peter Tschudi and Mr. Jakob Burckhardt, who are retiring owing to their age, Mr. Marcel A. Naville, former president of the ICRC (1969–1973) and Mr. Thomas Fleiner, who did not wish their terms to be renewed.

The Central African Republic deposited with the Swiss Government, on 17 July 1984, an instrument of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol 1) and non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

Pursuant to their provisions, the Protocols will enter into force for the Central African Republic on 17 January 1985.

This is the 44th State to become party to Protocol I and the 38th to Protocol II.

The opening ceremony for the new building of the Central Tracing Agency took place at the ICRC on 29 October 1984. During the inauguration about one hundred guests were addressed by Mr. Pierre Aubert, Federal Councillor and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jacques Vernet, Vice-president of the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Professor Jean-Werner Huber, Director of the Federal Buildings Office, and Mr. Alexandre Hay, President of the ICRC.

On 24 February 1984, the French Republic deposited with the Swiss Government an instrument of accession to the Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 relating to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

We have the honour of informing you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 30 August 1984, officially recognized the Barbados Red Cross Society.

Founded on 17 February 1960 as a branch of the British Red Cross, and independent since 31 July 1969, the Society applied for recognition by the International Committee on 16 June 1984. In support of its request it sent various documents, including several reports on its activities, the text of its Statutes and a copy of the “Barbados Red Cross Society Act, 1969”, wherein the Government of Barbados recognizes it as a voluntary aid society auxiliary to the public authorities.

From 2 to 6 April, the President of the ICRC, Mr. Alexandre Hay, accompanied by Mr. Jean Hoefliger, delegate-general for the Middle East, and Mr. S. Nessi, head of the Financing Division, carried out a brief mission to Saudi Arabia, where he met with government authorities and informed them about ICRC activities and the problems encountered by the institution, in particular in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The ICRC President also wished to discuss questions of ICRC financing.

Mrs. Marguerite Gautier-van Berchem died on 23 January 1984, to the deep sorrow of all those who had the privilege of knowing her.

The daughter of the well-known scientist Max van Berchem, Marguerite Gautier continued in her father's footsteps and became a scholar in the field of archeology. She was the author of a number of highly esteemed publications.

The Republic of Cameroon deposited with the Swiss Government, on 16 March 1984, an instrument of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I) and non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

We have the honour to inform you that on 30 August 1984 the International Committee of the Red Cross officially recognized the Red Crescent Society of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

The new Society officially applied for recognition by the International Committee of the Red Cross on 28 May 1984. Its request was supported by various documents, including a copy of its most recent report on its activities, the text of its Statutes and an authenticated copy of the ministerial decree of 21 February 1984 certifying that the Government had recognized the Red Crescent Society as a voluntary aid society auxiliary to the public authorities and as the only Red Crescent Society of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

On 24 February 1984, the French Republic deposited with the Swiss Government an instrument of accession to Protocol II only (see International Review, March–April 1984 edition). The instrument was accompanied by the following communication; the original French text, which was transmitted to us by the depository government, is given in translation below.