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The theory and practice of neutrality: Some thoughts on the tensions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2010

Larry Minear
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Résumé

L'auteur de cet article s'intéresse au concept de la neutralité de l'action humanitaire. Il examine les tensions qui peuvent surgir entre la théorie et la pratique, et pose un regard particulier sur la position du CICR. La neutralité, au sens des Principes fondamentaux du Mouvement international de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, impose le devoir de »s'abstenir de prendre part aux hostilités et, en tout temps, aux controverses d'ordre politique, racial, religieux et idéologique«. Le CICR a toujours poursuivi cette ligne de conduite qu'il considère fondamentale pour le succès de son activité humanitaire, même si pour d'autres la neutralité est un obstacle. L'auteur constate que l'usage que le CICR fait de ce principe est en fait plus dynamique et politiquement plus fin qu'on ne le pense généralement. Une réflexion permanente sur le concept clé de la neutralité est nécessaire, mais il ne faut pas oublier que ce qui est bon pour le CICR ne l'est pas nécessairement pour d'autres organisations internationales, qu'elles soient gouvernementales ou non.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of the Red Cross , Volume 81 , Issue 833: Débat humanitaire/Humanitarian Debate , March 1999 , pp. 63 - 71
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1999

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References

1 For an account of efforts by U.S. NGOs to examine the political dimensions of humanitarian action, see Minear, Larry, Helping people in an age of conflict: Toward a new professionalism in voluntary humanitarian assistance, InterAction, New York, 1988.Google Scholar

2 For a recent review of some of the issues and perspectives in the debate, see “The Emperor's new clothes: Charting the erosion of humanitarian principles”, Disasters, Special issue, Vol. 22, No. 4, December 1998.

3 In recent years, several major studies of the ICRC have appeared. These include Hutchin-son, John F., Champions of charity: War and the rise of the Red Cross, Westview, Boulder, 1996Google Scholar; Ignatieff, Michael, The warrior's honor: Ethnic war and the modern conscience. Metropolitan Books, New York, 1997Google Scholar; Berry, Nicholas O., War and the Red Cross: The unspoken mission, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1997CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and Moorhead, Caroline, Dunant's dream — War, Switzerland and the history of the Red Cross, HarperCollins, London, 1998.Google Scholar There had been an interlude of several decades since Forsythe's, David P.Humanitarian politics: The International Committee of the Red Cross, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, 1977.Google Scholar

4 See e.g. Bugnion, François, “Red Cross law”, IRRC, No. 308, September-October 1995, pp. 491–519Google Scholar; Plattner, Denise, “ICRC neutrality and neutrality in humanitarian assistance”, IRRC, No. 311, March-April 1996, pp. 161–179Google Scholar; and Forsythe, David P., “The International Committee of the Red Cross and humanitarian assistance: A policy analysis”, IRRC, No. 314, September-October 1996, pp. 512–531.Google Scholar

5 See e.g. Moore, Jonathan (ed.), Hard choices: Moral dilemmas in humanitarian intervention, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, Boulder, New York, Oxford, 1998.Google Scholar

6 The decision reached in 1998 by the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Swiss Red Cross to rejuvenate the Henry Dunant Institute and to make it a resource for the wider humanitarian community is also a promising development.

7 The now annual Wolfsberg Humanitarian Forums, hosted by the ICRC, have drawn together governments, UN officials, and NGOs for reviews of such concerns.

8 UNGA res. 46/182,19 December 1991. Some of the tensions between humanitarian principles and other aspects of UN operations are examined in the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee, “Respect for humanitarian mandates in conflict situations”, United Nations, New York, 1996.

9 The views of ICRC officials and of other actors in post-Cold War conflicts are reflected in the publications of the Humanitarianism and War Project, which are listed at and available from the website www.brown.edu/Departments/Wat-son_lnstitute/H_W.

10 The Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Principle of neutrality, see e.g. Handbook of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, 13th ed., Geneva, 1994.

11 Pictet, Jean, The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1979.Google Scholar PP. 56. 59. 60. For a discussion of the similarities and differences between the paradigms of the ICRC and other humanitarian organizations, see Minear, Larry, “Terms of engagement with human need”, The Ecumenical Review, Vol. 24, No. 1, January 1990, pp. 4–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

12 The occasion was a panel discussion on “ls neutrality still possible?”, Conference on Humanitarian Aid Challenges in the New Millennium sponsored by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (29 September 1998). The other panelists were ICRC official Francis Amar and the author.

13 Francis Amar, “Neutrality: A Red Cross perspective”, pp. 3–4.

14 S. Neil MacFarlane and Thomas G. Weiss, Political interest and humanitarian action, forthcoming.

15 Pictet, , op. cit. note 11, p. 53.Google Scholar

16 Moreillon, Jacques, “Different perceptions of the same event”, IRRC, No. 257, March-April 1987, p. 144.Google Scholar He was commenting on the suspension of the government delegation of the Republic of South Africa at the 25th International Conference of the Red Cross, a decision which stimulated considerable debate about intersections between humanitarian and political action.

17 Amar, op. cit. note 13, p. 4.Google Scholar

18 This incident is cited in a section called “Dealing with belligerents who defy international humanitarian law”, in Minear, Larry, Clark, Jeffrey, Cohen, Roberta, Gallagher, Dennis, Guest, lain, and Weiss, Thomas G., Humanitarian action in the former Yugoslavia: The U.N. ‘s role 1991–1993, Watson Institute, Providence, RI, 1994, p. 78.Google Scholar

19 Ignatieff, Michael, “The stories we tell: Television and humanitarian aid”, in Moore, op. cit. note 5, p. 296.Google Scholar

20 Berry, op. cit. note 3.