Human Security For All: A Tribute to Sergio Vieira de Mello

Annex to Jaques Forster's "Challenges to Independent Humanitarian Action in Contemporary Conflicts"

ANNEX TO JACQUES FORSTER’S “CHALLENGES TO INDEPENDENT HUMANITARIAN ACTION IN CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS” THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian action is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. The activities of the ICRC are based on the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977, which constitute the core of international humanitarian law (IHL). In 2003, the ICRC maintained a permanent presence in 81 countries throughout the world. Approximately 11,000 persons make up its staff working in field delegations and in its Geneva headquarters. ICRC’s expenditure in 2003 totaled about 888 million Swiss francs. Its 2004 budget is about 894 million Swiss francs. The main activities of the ICRC are as follows: Protection Visits to detainees: through its visits to persons deprived of freedom, the ICRC works to prevent or put an end to disappearances, summary executions and ill-treatment, as well as to improve conditions of detention when necessary. Restoration of family links: the Central Tracing Agency of the ICRC works to re-establish family contact in all situations of armed conflict or internal violence through the exchange of Red Cross messages and, cahill.qxp 10/1/2004 1:37 PM Page 273 whenever possible, family reunifications. It puts a special accent to the clarification of the fate of missing persons and the subsequent provision of information to their families. Respect for civilians: through its delegates in the field, the ICRC assesses the conditions of the civilian population, analyzes cases of abuses and violations of IHL and, through its dialogue with civil and military authorities at all levels, it requests preventive or corrective measures to ensure that individuals and groups who are not taking part in the hostilities are fully respected and protected in accordance with the norms of IHL. Assistance Economic security: ICRC seeks to ensure or restore the economic selfsufficiency of households. It is thus concerned both with the protection of the vital means of production and the provision of survival relief when essential goods can no longer be obtained through economic activities. Water and habitat: ICRC’s activities seek to ensure that victims of armed conflict have access to water for drinking and domestic use, and to protect the population from environmental hazards caused by the collapse of water and habitat systems. Health care: through its health programmes, the ICRC ensures that victims of conflict have access to essential preventive and curative health care of a universally accepted standard. This includes: supply of essential medicines and medical equipment, war surgery, epidemiological surveillance , training of medical staff and physical rehabilitation in prosthetic/orthotic centers. Preventive Action Preventive action covers all steps taken to limit violence in conflict situations and to prevent, anticipate or alleviate the suffering of people affected by armed conflicts. These activities are carried out both in peacetime and in times of armed conflicts. They encompass both legal and communication activities. 274 APPENDICES cahill.qxp 10/1/2004 1:37 PM Page 274 The ICRC works towards the implementation of international humanitarian law through the promotion of humanitarian treaties, technical advice and support for the national implementation of these treaties, translating existing IHL texts into relevant languages. Interpretation and dissemination of IHL also represent important aspects of ICRC’s work. The development of IHL is another aspect of the ICRC legal enterprise : monitoring new developments, carrying out studies, participating to the international drafting processes relating to the protection of human life and dignity. Communication of the rules of international humanitarian law through awareness-building, promotion of international humanitarian law through teaching and training, integration of humanitarian law into official legal, educational and operational curricula. Promotion activities are aimed at members of the armed, police and security forces as well as armed groups, leaders and opinion makers, students and other young people. Cooperation between the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies An increasing number of ICRC activities for victims of armed conflict and internal violence are implemented jointly with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, wherever their network, structure and capacity permit. In situations of conflict and internal violence, the ICRC coordinates all inputs of the components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and helps build the capacity of the concerned...