Chicago Journal of International Law
Volume 5 | Number 1

Article 14

6-1-2004

The International Committee of the Red Cross andthe Development of International Humanitarian
Law
François Bugnion

Recommended Citation
Bugnion, François (2004) "The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Development of International Humanitarian Law,"
Chicago Journal of International Law: Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 14.
Available at: http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cjil/vol5/iss1/14

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The International Committee of the Red Cross and theDevelopment of International Humanitarian Law
Frangois Bugnion*

Notwithstanding its private-initiative origins, the International Committeeof the Red Cross ("ICRC") has been the main driving force behind thedevelopment of international humanitarian law for 140 years. It was the ICRC
that took the initiative which led to the adoption of the original Geneva
Convention of 22 August 1864, an instrument that is the starting point ofcontemporary international humanitarian law and a landmark in thedevelopment of public international law; it was the ICRC that laid thegroundwork for the subsequent developments of that law.
How was it that five individuals managed to have the initial Geneva
Convention adopted? What was the significance of that treaty? What was the
ICRC's role in the drafting of subsequent conventions and what is its role today
in relation to the development of international humanitarian law? And finally,
what is the outlook for the future? These are the questions this article sets out toanswer.
I. ORIGINS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
OF THE RED CROSSThe International Committee of the Red Cross came into being by chance.
A business trip took Henry Dunant to Castiglione delle Stiviere, a few kilometersfrom where one of the bloodiest battles of the nineteenth century had justended. A decisive episode in the struggle for Italy's independence and unity, theBattle of Solferino (24 June 1859) was also the scene of the greatest slaughterthat Europe had seen since Waterloo: the toll of just one day of fighting wassome six thousand dead and almost forty thousand wounded. The medical

Francois Bugnion, Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Political Sciences, joined the International
Committee of the Red Cross in 1970. He served the institution in Israel and the occupied
territories, Bangladesh, Turkey and Cyprus, Chad, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Since January 2000,
he is Director for International Law and Cooperation at the ICRC. The present article is apersonal contribution of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC.

ChicagoJournalof InternationalLaw

services of the Franco-Sardinian armies were completely overwhelmed. Helpedby their comrades and leaning on their rifle butts, the less seriously wounded
managed to reach the township of Castiglione, where there would soon be morerecumbent figures than able-bodied men. Dunant was not a doctor, and hisbusiness was urgent, but he was too compassionate to close his heart to the
distress he was witnessing. Day after day, he visited the wounded in the Chiesa
Maggiore and attempted to provide them with whatever comfort he could.'
On his return to Geneva, Dunant recorded what he had seen in a small
book that was to mark an epoch: A Memory of Soaferino. After a description of thebattle and the neglected state in which he had found the Solferino casualties,
Dunant concluded with two proposals: the creation, in the various countries ofEurope, of relief societies for wounded soldiers, which would mobilize private
charity resources; and the adoption of a treaty giving protection on thebattlefield to the wounded and to anyone who endeavored to come to theirassistance. 2
The first proposal was the starting point for the National Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies found in 181 countries today. The second was the sourceof contemporary international humanitarian law.
A Memory of Solferino came off the presses in November 1862 andimmediately aroused wide interest. Following publication, a five-man committee
was formed in Geneva consisting of Henry Dunant, Gustave Moynier, General
Guillaume-Henri Dufour, and Doctors Appia and Maunoir, the aim of which
was to give shape to Dunant's ideas. After some hesitation, the committeewhich would soon be calling itself the International Committee of the Red
Cross-convened a conference of government experts and well known
philanthropists in Geneva, in October 1863. This conference laid thefoundations for the relief societies and gave birth to the Red Cross.'
The history of the founding of the Red Cross is well known and there is abundant literature
devoted to it. The following accounts and works may be consulted in particular: J. Henry Dunant,
A Memory of So erino (ICRC 1986) (American Red Cross, trans), original French edition, Un
Souvenir de Soifirino (Fick 1862); Henry Dunant, Mimoires 32-121 (Henry Dunant Institute andEditions L'Age d'Homme 1971) (text established and presented by Bernard Gagnebin); Alexis
Frangois, Le Berceau de la Croix-Rouge (Librairie Jullien and Librairie tdouard Champion 1918);
Pierre Boissier, History of the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross: From Soferino to Tsushima 7-121(Henry Dunant Institute 1985); Francois Bugnion, La fondation de la Croix-Rouge et Ia prmiir
Convention de Genve, in Roger Durand, ed, De l'utopie d la rialit" Acres du Colloque Henry Dunant tenu ei
Genive au palais de i'Athinie et i la chapelle de l'Oratoire les 3, 4 et 5 mai 1985 at 191-223 (Henry
Dunant Society 1988); Franqois Bugnion, The InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross and the Protectionof War Victims 6-28 (MacMillan 2003) (Patricia Colberg, Edward Markee, and Nicolas Sommer,
trans).

2

Dunant, A Memory of Soferino at 115-26 (cited in note 1).

3Compte rendu de la Confirence internationaleriunie ii Genve les 26, 27, 28 et 29 octobre 1863 pour itudier las
moyens de pourvoir c l'insuffsance du service sanitaire dans les armies en campagne, excerpt in Societ6
genevoise d'Utilit6 publique, Bulletin No 24 (ules-Guillaume Fick 1863).

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

Bugnion

4
The following year, in response to an approach from the Committee, theSwiss Federal Council convened a diplomatic conference to adopt a treaty
protecting the medical services of armies on the battlefield.

II. THE ORIGINAL GENEVA CONVENTION
The Diplomatic Conference opened in Geneva on 8 August 1864 andadopted as the basis for its deliberations the draft prepared by the International
Committee.5 On completion of its work, it adopted the Geneva Convention for
the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field of 22
August 1864.6 The Convention contained only ten articles, but it neverthelessmarked a turning point in the laws and customs of war. By proclaiming theprinciple that "[w]ounded and sick combatants, to whatever nation they may
belong, shall be collected and cared for" and by providing protection for medical
personnel on the battlefield, the Convention totally altered the possibility ofcoming to the succor of the war-wounded. It transformed into a rule of law
something that until then had been, at best, a practice that armies respected only
if they felt so inclined.
The Committee's initiative also demonstrated that it was possible to adopt
in peacetime rules that were applicable in wartime. For the first time in history, amultilateral treaty to establish rules for the future was adopted in peacetime,
independently of any settlement of an earlier conflict. The Convention of 22
August 1864 thus marks the starting point of the remarkable development ofinternational humanitarian law that has taken place since its adoption.
What part did the ICRC play in this event? Three aspects can be identified:* The ICRC took the initiative of the treaty and sought the supportof governments, particularly that of the Swiss government, which
agreed to convene the Diplomatic Conference, and of Napoleon
III, who supported the approaches made by the ICRC and Berneto other states.
* The ICRC prepared the draft treaty that was used as the basis forthe conference deliberations.
" Even though the ICRC was not represented in its own capacity at
the Diplomatic Conference, two of its members played an eminentrole as delegates of Switzerland: General Dufour, who chaired the456Letter to the Swiss Federal Council, 26 May 1864, in Actes du Comiti internationalde Secours aux
Militaires blessis 15-16 (ICRC 1871) (available at ICRC library).
Compte rendu de la Conference internationalepourla Neutralisaliondu Service de Sante militaire en Campagne,
riunie d Genive du 8 au 22 aoht 1864, handwritten copy at the ICRC Library, reproduced in 36
Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 416-23, 483-98, 573-86 (1954).
Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the
Field (1864), 22 Stat 940 (1865).

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conference, and Gustave Moynier, who can be considered the mainarchitect of the Convention.
III. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS
AND THE ADOPTION OF THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS OF
12 AUGUST 1949
The International Committee played a similar role at the Diplomatic
Conferences of 1906, 1929, and 1949, which revised the 1864 Convention andadopted several new ones, and also at the Diplomatic Conference of 1974-77,
which adopted the Protocols additional to the 1949 Conventions. Because the
Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 constitute the bedrock of thehumanitarian law in force today, we should direct our attention to the ICRC's
role in the process of adopting those conventions.
The International Committee did not wait for the end of the Second World
War before preparing to revise the 1929 Geneva Conventions7 and the TenthHague Convention (1907),' nor did it wait to draft a new convention to protect
civilians in time of war that had been so sadly lacking during those six years of
struggle. 9 In a memorandum dated 15 February 1945, the ICRC announced it
was initiating consultations for that purpose and asked for the support ofgovernments and National Societies in gathering the necessary documentation.' 0
In October 1945, the ICRC convened a meeting of experts drawn from theneutral members of the Mixed Medical Commissions, which had been
responsible during the war for examining sick and wounded prisoners of war
and determining their eligibility for repatriation.
The ICRC submitted its proposals and first drafts to a conference of
National Red Cross Societies, which met in Geneva in July and August 1946, to
7

8

9

10

Geneva Convention (1) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick inArmies in the Field (1929), 47 Stat 2074 (1933); Geneva Convention (11) Relative to theTreatment of Prisoners of War (1929), 47 Stat 2021 (1933).
Hague Convention (X) for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva
Convention (1907), 36 Stat 2371 (1911).
During the period between the wars, the ICRC prepared a draft convention to protect civilians intime of war and submitted it to the Fifteenth International Conference of the Red Cross, meetingin Tokyo in October 1934. The conference endorsed the draft and instructed the ICRC to makethe necessary approaches that would lead to the adoption of a convention on the matter. The
ICRC therefore forwarded the draft to the Swiss Federal Council, which undertook to consult
with governments. Unfortunately, several states made it known that they opposed the idea.
Further approaches were made in 1938 with a view to convening a diplomatic conference thatwould have met at the beginning of 1940. The outbreak of the World War II put paid to theproject.
Memorandum adressepar le Comiti internationalde la Croix-Rouge aux Gouvernements des Etatsparties d laConvention de Genive et aux Socits nazonales de la Croix-Rouge, 27 Revue intemationale de la CroixRouge 85 (1945).

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

Bugnionexamine the conventions and other questions relating to the Red Cross. A totalof 145 delegates from 45 National Societies attended the conference, as well as
representatives of the ICRC and the League of Red Cross Societies." In April
1947, the Committee consulted the Conference of Government Experts for the
study of the conventions protecting war victims. This meeting brought together
seventy experts appointed by the governments of fifteen countries. 2
On the basis of the conclusions reached by the two preparatory
conferences and of other consultations, the ICRC formulated four draft
conventions relating to the wounded and sick in armies in the field, thewounded, sick, and shipwrecked in armed forces at sea, prisoners of war, andcivilians in time of war.'" The ICRC submitted the draft conventions to theSeventeenth International Conference of the Red Cross, meeting in Stockholm
in August 1948; the draft conventions were referred to the Legal Commission,
which examined them article by article and approved them with only minor
amendments. 4 The Stockholm Conference also declared that "these drafts, inparticular the new convention on the protection of civilians, correspond to thefundamental aspirations of the peoples of the world" and recommended that "allgovernments meet at the earliest possible moment in Diplomatic Conference forthe adoption and signature of the texts now approved."'" The ICRC revised thedraft conventions to take account of the remarks of the Stockholm Conference
and transmitted them to the Swiss government, depositary of the Geneva
Conventions, which forwarded them to the governments of all countries invited

11

12International Committee of the Red Cross, Report on the Work of the Pref'minagy Conference of National
Red Cross Societiesfor the Study of the Conventions and of Various Problems Relative to the Red Cross (Geneva,
Jul 26--August 3, 1946) (1947). Founded in 1919 at the initiative of Henry Pomeroy Davison,
President of the War Council of the American Red Cross, the League of Red Cross Societies wasa federation of National Societies. In 1991, the League changed its name to International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
International Committee of the Red Cross, Report on the Work of the Conference of Government Experts

14

for the Study of the Conventionsfor the Protection of War Victims (Geneva, April 14-26, 1947) (1947).
Seventeenth International Conference of the Red Cross (Stockholm, Aug 1948), Draft Revised or
New Conventionsfor the Protection of War Victims, Estabished by the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross
with the Assistance of Government Experts, Red Cross National Societies and Other Humanitarian
Associations, Doc No 4a (ICRC 1948); Seventeenth International Conference of the Red Cross,
Draft Revised or New Conventionsfor the Protection of War Victims, Addenda andAmendments, Doc N o 4A
(ICRC 1948) (cyclostyled document).
Seventeenth International Red Cross Conference (Stockholm, Aug 1948), Report (Swedish Red

15

Cross 1948); Seventeenth International Conference of the Red Cross, Stinogramme des siances de laCommissionjuridique and Risumi des dbats des sous-commissions de la Commissionjuridique (Aug 1948)(cyclostyled documents).
Seventeenth International Red Cross Conference (Stockholm, August 1948), Report, Resolution

13

XIX at 92-93 (cited in note 14).

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to take part in a diplomatic conference to be held the following year. 6 The
ICRC also sent the governments concerned a document entitled Remarks andProposals Submitted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, containing a
number of considerations resulting from its most recent research on thesubject. 7
Convened by the Swiss government, the Diplomatic Conference opened in
Geneva on 21 April 1949 in the presence of 277 delegates representing 59
governments. Experts from the ICRC and the League of Red Cross Societies
were allowed to take part, while representatives of the United Nations and ofvarious specialized organizations were invited as observers. The work of theConference was carried out by four main committees, which appointed subcommittees or working groups as and when they felt it necessary to do so. The
drafts finalized by the Main Committees were then examined and adopted by the
Plenary Assembly of the Conference. The Conference ended with the adoptionof four revised or new conventions for the protection of war victims:" The Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of
the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field;' 8" The Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of
Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at
Sea;' 9" The Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners ofWar; 0 and* The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War.2 'All four Conventions bear the date of 12 August 1949 and entered into force in1950.
What part did the ICRC play in the process leading up to the adoption of
the new Geneva Conventions?
We have seen that it was the ICRC that took the initiative in calling theconsultations without waiting for the fighting to end. It was the ICRC thatorganized and chaired both the Conference of Experts from National Red Cross
16

International Committee of the Red Cross, Revised and New Draft Conventionsfor the Protection of War

18

Victims: Texts Approved and Amended by the XVIIth InternationalRed Cross Conference (1948).
International Committee of the Red Cross, Revised and New Draft Conventionsfor the Protection of War
Victims: Remarks and ProposalsSubmitted by the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross, Documentfor theConsideration of Governments Invited by the Swiss Federal Council to Attend the Diplomatic Conference at
Geneva, 21 Apr 1949 (1949).
(1949), 6 UST 3114 (1956).

17

19(1949), 6 UST 3217 (1956).

20(1949), 6 UST 3316 (1956).

21(1949), 6 UST 3516 (1956).

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

BugnionSocieties and the Conference of Government Experts and that prepared theinitial drafts of the revised or new conventions. It was the ICRC that presented
those drafts to the Seventeenth International Conference of the Red Cross. The
conference discussed them, amended them, albeit slightly, and, above all,expressed its support for the ICRC drafts by recommending that all
governments meet in diplomatic conference to approve them. The ICRC thenrevised its drafts to take account of the recommendations of the Stockholm
Conference and forwarded them to the Swiss government, which was
responsible for convening the Diplomatic Conference; it was those drafts thatwere used as the basis for the deliberations of the Conference. Finally, the ICRC
attended the Diplomatic Conference in its expert capacity." Its representatives
participated in the work of the plenary meetings, the committees, and theworking groups. They were given the task in particular of introducing the draft
articles as they came up for discussion and were invited to take part in the
deliberations. There is thus no doubt that the ICRC played a leading role in the
adoption of the 1949 Conventions in force today.
IV. THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS TO THE GENEVACONVENTION OF 12 AUGUST 1949
In the process of drafting the Additional Protocols, the ICRC played a rolelargely comparable with the one it had played during the drafting of the 1949
Conventions, except on one point: in 1949, it was the ICRC that took the
initiative in the consultation process, while in the case of the Additional
Protocols, the International Conference on Human Rights, meeting in Tehran in
1968, provided the initial impetus. 23 The ICRC doubted that a world deeply
divided by the Cold War could possibly reach agreement on a revision ofhumanitarian law, but equally it felt that it could not abdicate responsibility forthe task that people were trying to assign it. Nor could the ICRC relinquish toother institutions the role it had assumed for more than a century in the domainof the codification and development of humanitarian law. Its legal experts
therefore went back to the drawing board. The most elementary prudence
required, however, that nothing be done that would undermine the 1949
Conventions. In those conditions, the aim could only be to supplement those
22

23

Because of the Soviet Union's hostility towards it, the ICRC had to wait until just before theopening ceremony of the Diplomatic Conference before receiving confirmation that it could
attend, since the Swiss Federal Council feared that the Soviet government might use the presenceof the ICRC as an excuse to decline to take part in the work of the 1949 Conference, just as it had
declined, for other reasons, to attend the 1929 Conference. Catherine Rey-Schyrr, Les Conventionsde Genive de 1949: unepercie dicisive, 81 Intl Rev Red Cross 209, 209-39, 499-529, in particular see
pages 232 and 234 (1999).
International Conference on Human Rights (Tehran, Apr 22-May 13, 1968), Resolution XXIII, in
FinalAct of the InternationalConference on Human Rights, Doc A/CONF 32/41 at 18 (UN 1968).

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Conventions by means of Additional Protocols. In other respects, we find once
again the functions performed earlier: the ICRC organized and chaired theconsultations between experts drawn from governments and from National Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies; 24 the ICRC prepared the draft Additional
Protocols; 2 and the ICRC submitted them to the Twenty-Second International
Conference of the Red Cross, 26 and then forwarded them to the Swissgovernment, which was responsible for convening the Diplomatic Conference.
Its experts participated in the work of the Diplomatic Conference on the
Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law, as they had
done at the 1949 Conference.27
V. LAW OF GENEVA AND LAW OF THE HAGUE

The adoption of the Geneva Convention of 22 August 1864 showed that it
was possible to take advantage of peacetime to establish rules intended to Limit
the violence of war and to protect its victims. It also allowed the diplomacy of asmall neutral country to achieve a major success. Those two lessons did not
escape the attention of the Russian government.
Russia, at the time, was not far from a situation of undeclared war with the
British Empire for the control of Central Asia and access to the Indian Ocean.
Worried that the British had developed explosive bullets, Tsar Alexander II had
24

25

26

27

Conference of Red Cross Experts on the Reaffirmation and Development of International
Humanitarian Law applicable in Armed Conflicts (The Hague, Mar 1-6, 1971), Report on the Workof the Conference, Doc D-O-1195b (ICRC 1971) (cyclostyled document); Conference ofGovernment Experts on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law
Applicable in Armed Conflicts (Geneva, May 24-June 12, 1971), Report on the Work of the Conference(ICRC 1971); Conference of Red Cross Experts on the Reaffirmation and Development ofInternational Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, 2d Sess (Vienna, Mar 20-24,
1972), Report on the Work of the Conference, Doc D-1254b (ICRC 1972) (cyclostyled document);
Conference of Government Experts on the Reaffirmation and Development of International
Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, 2d Sess (Geneva, May 3-June 3, 1972), Reporton the Work of the Conference (ICRC 1972) (two volumes).
International Committee of the Red Cross, Draft Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions ofAugust 12, 1949 (1973); Internanonal Committee of the Red Cross, DraftAdditional Protocols to the
Geneva Conventions ofAugust 12, 1949: Commentary (1973).
Resolution XIII, in Resolutions Adopted by the XXIInd International Conference of the Red Cross, 14 Intl
Rev Red Cross 19, 30 (1974); International Committee of the Red Cross, Report on the Study by the
XXIInd InternationalConference of the Red Cross of the DraftAdditional Protocols to the Geneva Conventionsof August 12, 1949, Doc CDDH/6 (1974) (cyclostyled document).
Offical Records of the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International
HumanitarianLaw Applicable in Armed Confhts (Geneva, 1974-1977) (Federal Political Department,
Bern 1978) (seventeen volumes). On 8 June 1977, the Conference adopted two additional
protocols: Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to
the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 1), 16 ILM 1391 (1977); andProtocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to theProtection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 11), 16 ILM 1442 (1977).

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Bugnionthe idea of outlawing their use in his armies. Fearful, however, of putting his
troops at a disadvantage if he deprived them of a fearsome weapon, he decided
that he would prohibit their use only if the other sovereigns would do likewise.
The Imperial Cabinet therefore convened a conference that resulted in the
adoption of the Declaration of St. Petersburg of 29 November/11 December
1868, which lays down the fundamental principles of the law of28 war andprohibits the use of explosive projectiles weighing less than 400 grams.
That Declaration marks the starting point of a new body of law intended tolimit the evils of war by regulating the methods and means of combat. The mainstages of this development were the Brussels Conference of 1874, which
adopted a Declaration concerning the Laws and Customs of War, 29 and theHague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, which adopted a series of treaties
relating to the conduct of hostilities on land and at sea.30
The Third Peace Conference, which should have been held in 1914, could
not meet because of war. But states found other opportunities to reaffirm anddevelop the rules relating to the conduct of hostilities. We may cite in particular
the Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous
1925;31
or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare of 17 June
the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict, concluded at The Hague on 14 May 1954;32 the Convention on theProhibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological
33(Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction of 10 April 1972;
the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain
Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or

30

St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868 to the Effect of Prohibiting the Use of Certain Projectiles in
Wartime, in International Committee of the Red Cross, Handbook of the InternationalRed Cross and
Red Crescent Movement 296-97 (JCRC 13th ed 1994).
Actes de la Confirence re'nie d Bruxelles, du 27juillet au 27 aofit 1874, pour regler les lois et countumes de laguerre, reproduced in De Martens, 4 Nouveau Recueilginiralde Traits, Second Series 1-228 (1879). For
Henry Dunant's role in the project to convene the Brussels Conference and the way that initiative
was taken up by the cabinet in St Petersburg the reader may refer to Y. de Pourtal~s and R.-H.
Durand, Henry Dunant, Promoter of the 1874 Brussels Conference, Pioneer of Diplomatic Protection for
Prisonersof War, 15 Ind Rev Red Cross 61 (1975); Roger Durand, Les prisonniers de guerre aux temps
hroiques de la Croix-Rouge, in De /'utopie d la reclitd: Actes du Colloque Hengy Dunant tenu d Gen~ve au
palais de lAthirnie et d la cbapelle de l'Oratoireles 3, 4 et 5 mai 1985 at 225-97 (cited in note 1).
The Proceedings of the Hague Peace Conferences: The Conference of 1899 (Oxford 1920) (Division of

31

International Law of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, trans); 1-3 The Proceedingsof the Hague Peace Conferences: The Conference of 1907 (Oxford 1920) (Division of International Law of
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, trans) (three volumes).
(1925), 26 UST 571 (1975).

32

249 UN Treaty Ser 240 (1954).

33(1972), 26 UST 583 (1975).

28

29

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ChicagoJournalof InternationalLaw

to Have Indiscriminate Effects of 10 October 1980;" 4 the Convention on theProhibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical
Weapons and on Their Destruction of 13 January 1993;3 ' and the Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of AntiPersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction, concluded at Ottawa on 18
September 1997.36
Because the 1899 and 1907 Hague Conventions are still the mainstay of thelaw governing the conduct of hostilities, it has become customary to refer to the"law of The Hague" to describe the set of rules relating to the conduct ofhostilities, while the expression "law of Geneva" is used to describe the set ofrules dealing with the protection of war victims, as set forth in the Geneva
Conventions in particular. Although victims are as much the central focus of one
set of rules as of the other, the means used to protect them under the law of The
Hague differ, to some extent, from those of the Geneva Conventions. Unlike
the Geneva Conventions, which primarily aim to protect the victim once
affected (the wounded, the shipwrecked, prisoners of war, or civilians in the
power of the adverse party), the law of The Hague aims mainly to protect
combatants and non-combatants by restricting the methods and means ofcombat. In a sense, one might view the law of The Hague as working"upstream" from the law of Geneva and emphasizing mainly prevention. The
law of The Hague and the law of Geneva converged with the adoption of thetwo Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, whichbrought up to date and developed not only the rules relating to the protection of7
war victims, but also those governing the conduct of hostilities. B
While the ICRC has been and still is the driving force behind thedevelopment of the law of Geneva, its contribution to the development of thelaw of The Hague seems much more modest. The ICRC did not attend the 1868
St. Petersburg Conference; nor was it represented at the two Hague Peace
Conferences. 38 It was not until after the First World War that the ICRC took thefirst initiatives in an effort to appeal to states to reinstate or supplement the rules
34

S Treaty Doc No 103-25 (1993).

35

S Treaty Doc No 103-21 (1993).

36

36 ILM 1507 (1997).

37

The International Court ofJustice underlined the merger of these areas of law:
These two branches of the law applicable in armed conflict have become so closelyinterrelated that they are considered to have gradually formed one single complex
system, known today as international humanitarian law. The provisions of the Additional
Protocols of 1977 give expression and attest to the unity and complexity of that law.
Advisory Opinion, Legaliy of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, 1996 ICJ 226 July 8, 1996).

38

As far as we know, the ICRC was not invited to attend the 1868 Conference in St. Petersburg, nor
the 1899 and 1907 Hague Peace Conferences. However, Mr. Edouard Odier, a member of theICRC, attended the First Peace Conference as a member of the Swiss delegation.

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Bugnionrelating to the conduct of hostilities. In a letter of 22 November 1920 to thepresident and members of the first Assembly of the League of Nations, theICRC asked for the adoption of a series of measures intended to make war lessinhuman, particularly restrictions on aerial warfare to military objectives
exclusively, the absolute prohibition of asphyxiating gases, the prohibition ofbombing of open or undefended cities, and the prohibition of the deportation of
the civilian population.39
In addition, the ICRC put these issues before the Tenth International
Conference of the Red Cross, meeting in Geneva from 30 March to 7 April
1921. The Conference endorsed the ICRC's proposals without hesitation anddemanded in particular "the absolute prohibition of the use of gas as a means ofcombat."4The ICRC continued its efforts to bring about the prohibition of chemical
weapons, particularly following the Washington Conference on the Limitation ofArmament.41 In the end, it was the Conference for the Supervision of theInternational Trade in Arms and Ammunition and in Implements of War,meeting in Geneva from 4 May to 17 June 1925, that deserved the credit forreinstating the prohibition of poisonous weapons, by adopting the Geneva
Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other
Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare of 17 June 1925.42 As far as
we know, the ICRC played no direct part in that final phase of thenegotiations.43 There is, however, no doubt that the ICRC was instrumental in
the adoption of the Protocol by its appeals, by its approaches to governments
and by mobilization of public opinion.' We dare not imagine what the Second
World War would have been without the Protocol.
After the 1949 Conventions were adopted, the ICRC renewed its efforts tobring about the development of rules relating to the conduct of hostilities. It
39

40

41
42

Letter from the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Assembly of the League of
Nations, i'mitation de laguerre, ICRC Archives, File No B CR 82, reproduced in 24 Revueinternationale de la Croix-Rouge 1348 (1920).
International Committee of the Red Cross, Dixime Confirence internationalede laCroix-Rouge runie d
Genive du 30 mars au 7 avril 1921, Res XII, in 3 Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 330, 33637 (1921).
Letter from Gustave Ador to Charles Evans Hughes, Secretary of State of the United States (16February 1922), reproduced in 38 Revue internationale de laCroix-Rouge 161 (19.22).
Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other
Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, 26 UST 571 (cited in note 31).

43

Isabelle Von&che Cardia, Note for the record, Protocole de 1925 (Apr 26, 2001) (ICRC Archives,
File No 141.2-1).

44"[Tmhe ICRC, in 1917, took the lead in a movement of opinion which was to lead to a protocol,
known as the Geneva Protocol of 17 June 1925, prohibiting the use of chemical andbacteriological weapons." Andr6 Durand, History of the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross:From
Sarajevo to Hiroshima262 (Henry Dunant Institute 1984); see also id at 89-96.

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ChicagoJournalof InternationalLaw

could not help but be concerned by the imbalance between the law of Geneva,
which the 1949 Diplomatic Conference had brought completely up to date, andthe law of The Hague, which had remained in the state in which the 1907
Conference had left it. Ten years after the destruction of Coventry and five years
after Hiroshima, the rules relating to aerial bombing still dated from the era of
the airship.
In an appeal of 5 April 1950 entitled "Atomic Weapons and Non-directed
Missiles," the ICRC pointed out that protection was not feasible within theradius affected by the atomic bomb. The use of this weapon instituted an
entirely new conception of war that made it impossible to respect the mainprinciples of humanitarian law. The ICRC appeal also pointed out that "thesuffering caused by the atomic bomb is out of proportion to strategic necessity;
many of its victims die as a result of burns after weeks of agony... ." The ICRC
therefore requested the governments signatory to the 1949 Geneva Conventions
to take "as a logical complement to [those] Conventions... all steps to reach an
agreement on the prohibition of atomic weapons, and in a general way, of all
non-directed missiles. 4 5
To support its words with action, the ICRC convened a conference ofexperts in 1954 to examine the legal issues relating to the protection of civilian
populations and other war victims against the dangers of aerial warfare andagainst the use of weapons of mass destruction, and it prepared, with the help ofparticularly well qualified experts, a draft set of rules for the limitation of thedangers incurred by the civilian population in time of war. The resulting draft
convention aimed at four goals: reinstating the principle of the immunity ofcivilian populations from the effects of war, which had been flouted
outrageously throughout the Second World War; defining military targets, whichwere the only ones that could legally be attacked; stipulating the precautions to
be taken in planning an attack; and prohibiting target-area bombing and also
weapons whose harmful effects, particularly by the dispersion of incendiary,chemical, bacteriological, radioactive, or other agents could escape from thecontrol of those who employed them and endanger the civilian population.46
The draft rules were submitted to the Nineteenth International Conferenceof the Red Cross, meeting in New Delhi in October and November 1957.

45

International Committee of the Red Cross-To the High Contracting Parties Signatory to the Geneva
Conventions for the Protection of the Victims of War Atomic Weapons and Non-directed Missiles, 3 Revueinternationale de laCroix-Rouge English Supplement 70 (1950). It should be noted that the ICRC
had already raised the issue of a possible prohibition of nuclear weapons in an appeal launched on
5 September 1945, less than one month after Hiroshima. Lafin des hostilitis et les tecbesfutures de la
Croix-Rouge, 27 Revue internationale de laCroix-Rouge 657 (1945).

46

Riunion d'experts pour la protectionjuridique des populations citiles, 36 Revue intemationale de la CroixRouge 255 (1954); International Committee of the Red Cross, Draft Rules for the Limitation of theDangersIncurred by the Civilian Population in Time of War (2d ed 1958).

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

BugnionDiscussion focused on the issue of the prohibition of atomic weapons. The
ICRC draft was attacked by both the Soviet delegation, which demanded an
outright ban on nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, and the Western countries,
which denounced as illusory any ban on the use of certain weapons notsupported by general disarmament and effective control measures. In the end,
the Conference instructed the International Committee to refer the draft togovernments for consideration.47 That finished it off.
It was ten years before the ICRC decided to return to the drawing board.
From 1969 onwards, it held consultations that led to the adoption of theProtocols additional to the Geneva Conventions, which brought up to datemuch of the law of the conduct of hostilities. It also participated in the draftingof 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 of 10 October 1980 ("Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons")48 and the adoption of the Protocols to that
Convention, and also in the adoption of the Convention on the Prohibition of
the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on
their Destruction ("Ottawa Convention") concluded on 18 September 1997.4
The Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, meetingin Geneva in October 1986, draw no distinction between the law of Geneva andthe law of The Hague as far as the competence of the ICRC in the domain of
the development of international humanitarian law is concerned."0 The recent
Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
acknowledged the expertise and role of the ICRC in matters relating to thedevelopment of rules governing the conduct of hostilities. The Conference's
final declaration, adopted on 21 December 2001, recognized "the crucial role ofthe International Committee of the Red Cross" and encouraged it "to continue
to work to facilitate further ratifications and accessions to the Convention and
47

48

49
50

Resolution XIII, in Resolutions Adopties par la XIXe Confirence Internaionale de laCroix-Rouge, 39
Revue internationale de laCroix-Rouge 679, 684-85 (1957); Nineteenth International Conferenceof the Red Cross (New Delhi, Oct-Nov 1957), Final Record Concerning the Draft Rules for the
Limitation of the Dangers Incurred by the Civilian Population in Time of War (ICRC 1958) (cyclostyled
document).
Alongside the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International
Humanitarian Law, meeting in Geneva from 1974 to 1977, the ICRC held two conferences ofgovernment experts on the use of conventional weapons: the first met in Lucerne from 24
September to 18 October 1974, and the second in Lugano from 28 January to 26 February 1976.
Louis Maresca and Stuart Maslen, eds, The Banning ofAnti-Personnel Landmines: The Legal Contributionof the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross (Cambridge 2000).
Article 5. 2 (g) of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
adopted by the 25th International Conference of the Red Cross at Geneva in October 1986, in
Handbook of the InternationalRed Cross at 422 (cited in note 28).

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ChicagoJournalof InternationalLaw

its annexed Protocols, to disseminate their contents and to lend its expertise to
future Conferences and other meetings related to the Convention and its
annexed Protocols. '1
VI. ICRC OPERATIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW
Can the ICRC also make a contribution to the development ofinternational humanitarian law through its initiatives aimed at providing
protection and assistance to war victims?
There is no doubt that it can. Indeed, even if we were to suppose that the
ICRC is not qualified to contribute through its operations on the ground to thedevelopment of international humanitarian law 2-- a hypothesis that we, for ourpart, are not prepared to concede-the fact remains that states do respond to
ICRC initiatives, which thereby contribute to the development of international
humanitarian law. Two examples illustrate this influence: the extension of theuse of the red cross sign at sea and the creation of neutralized zones in war on
land.
The Convention for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principlesof the Geneva Convention, signed at The Hague on 18 October 1907, reservedfor hospital ships the exclusive right to use the red cross emblem at sea. 3 During
the Second World War, however, the rampant shortages in Germany andoccupied Europe obliged the ICRC to institute a major aid campaign to feed

51

Second Review Conference of the States Parties to 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 (Geneva, Dec 11-21, 2001), Finalatonlineavailable
at
9(2001),
CCW/CONF.II/2
UN
Doc
Document,<http://disarmament2.un.org/ccw/ccwmeetings.html> (visited Mar 28, 2004).

52

The matter at issue here, of course, is the legal personality of the ICRC. On this point, the reader
may refer to the following works: Julio A. Barbeis, El Comitiinternationalde la CruZ Roja como suetodel derecho de gentes, in Christophe Swinarski, ed, Studies and Essays on InternationalHumanitarianLaw
and Red Cross Principles in Honour of Jean Pictet 635 (ICRC and Martinus Nijhoff 1984); Christian
Dominic6, La personnalitijutidiqueinternationaledu CICR, in Swinarski, ed, Studies and Essays at 663;
Denise Plattner, Le statut du delegue du CICR sous l'angle du principe de l'inviolabilit de sa personne, in
Swinarski, ed, Studies and Essays at 761; Paul Reuter, La personnaitejuridiqueinternationaledu Comit
internationalde la Croix-Rouge, in Swinarski, ed, Studies and Essays at 783; Christian Koenig, Observer
statusfor the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross at the United Nations:A Legal Viewpoint, 31 Intl Rev
Red Cross 37 (1991); Christian Dominic6, L'accord de siege conclu par le Comitiinternationalde la CroixRouge avec la Suisse, 99 Revue gdndrale de Droit international public 5 (1995) (English summary at36); Giovanni Distefano, Le CICR et l'immuniti dejuridiction en droit internationalcontemporain:fragments
d'investigation autour d'une notion centrale de l'oganisaion internationale, 12 Revue suisse de droit
international et de droit europ~en 355 (2002); Bugnion, The InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross
and the Protection of War Victims at 954-72 (cited in note 1).
Hague Convention (X) for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva
Convention (cited in note 8).

53

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

Bugnionallied prisoners of war in German hands. Since the necessary supplies could not
be acquired in Europe, the only solution was to import them from overseas. To
provide transport across the Atlantic, the ICRC chartered several ocean-goingvessels, which of course raised the issue of protecting and distinguishing those
vessels. The ICRC arranged to obtain the safe conducts needed, and to obtain
the agreement of the belligerents to distinguish the vessels by displaying the redcross emblem. The ICRC also gained the consent of the belligerents to use thered cross emblem to distinguish the Swedish vessels assigned to the aid
campaign in Greece. As a result, the ICRC vessels carried more than 450,000
tons of aid destined for allied prisoners of war in the hands of the Axis forces,
while the Swedish vessels carried more than 700,000 tons of supplies to be used
to feed the population of Greece, which was suffering a terrible famine. The redcross emblem was also used to distinguish vessels assigned to operations torepatriate the war wounded.54
The 1949 Diplomatic Conference condoned this extension of the use of
the red cross sign by authorizing the ICRC and the League of Red Cross
Societies to use the red cross sign at all times. Article 44 of the First Geneva
Convention thus stipulates: "The international Red Cross organizations and their
duly authorized personnel shall be permitted to make use, at all times, of theemblem of the Red Cross on a white ground."55
Zones of refuge provide the second example. During the period between
the two world wars, a number of conventions intended to establish hospital orsafety zones were drafted under the auspices of associations of military doctors
and the ICRC. None of the drafts resulted in an agreement, and aerial bombing
devastated the civilian population throughout the Second World War. Alarmed
by the development of aerial warfare, the ICRC organized further consultationsof experts on this issue after the war and inserted into the draft convention on
the protection of civilians a clause providing for the possibility of setting up
zones of refuge so as to better protect the civilian population against the effects

54

International Committee of the Red Cross, Report of the 'Foundationfor the OganiZation of Red Cross
Transports" on Its Operations since Its Inception in April 1942 up to 31st December 1946, Delivered to theInternationalCommittee of the Red Cross, Geneva, in March 1947 (1947); International Committee of the
Red Cross, 3 Report of the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross on Its Activities during the Second WorldWar (September 1, 1939-June 30, 1947): RelefActivities 127-65 (1948); Rapportfinal de Ia Commission deGestion des Envois de Vivres du Comiti internationalde laCroix-Rouge (Octobre 194 1-aodt 1942), preparedby its liquidator, Mr. Evangelos Papastratos, Commission de Gestion des Envois de Vivres duComit6 international de la Croix-Rouge, Athens (Mar 1945); Ravitaillement de la Grice pendantroccupation 1941-1944 etpendant les premiers dnq mois apris Ia lihiration:Rapportfinal de la Commission deGesion pour les Secours en Grce sons les auspices du Comit internationalde la Croix-Rouge (Soci&t6
helltnique d'tdition SA 1949).

55

Convention (1) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forcesin the Field, 6 UST at 3144 (cited in note 18).

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ChicagoJournalof InternationalLawof hostilities. 5 6 In accordance with the recommendations of the experts, the draft
article provided for the establishment of relatively permanent zones at a distancefrom the front.
When the Palestine conflict broke out, the ICRC drew the attention of itsdelegates to the draft article, and it was at the time of that conflict that the firstzones of refuge under the control and responsibility of the International
Committee were created. From the moment the United Nations adopted theplan for the partition of Palestine, it was clear that fighting would break out
when the mandatory power withdrew, as announced, on 15 May 1948. The area
most coveted-and most seriously threatened-was obviously Jerusalem, with
its Arab and Jewish population of 150,000. On 24 March the ICRC delegate
proposed that safety zones be established in which the civilian population could
find refuge in case of need and tried to secure the agreement of both parties.57
On 13 May 1948 the ICRC delegation announced that three safety zones had
been established:* Zone I: buildings and compounds of the King David Hotel, theYMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) building, and the
Terra Santa Convent;" Zone II: buildings and compounds of Government House (theheadquarters of the British mandate administration), the Arab
College and the Jewish Agricultural School;• Zone III: buildings and compounds of the Italian School and the
Italian Hospital.
It was proposed that the neutralized buildings and compounds would beindicated and their limits clearly shown by means of the red cross emblem; that
only women, children, and the aged, without distinction of race, religion, or
nationality, would be admitted to the safety zones; and that they would be given
only temporary asylum, while fighting was actually taking place. The ICRC
would be responsible for the general supervision of the safety zones. The Araband Jewish authorities agreed to these arrangements.58
In fact, Zone III never really came into existence. Zone I, where the ICRC
delegation had its headquarters, was respected until the first truce came into
force on 11 June 1948. The ICRC could only announce that Zone I would cease
to exist on 22 July, shortly after resumption of fighting.
The neutrality of Zone II was generally respected in spite of a serious
incident in August 1948. In October, realizing that there was no longer any needfor this zone, the ICRC ended it, and, with the agreement of the parties to the56

Draft Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War art 12, in Draft
Revised or New Conventionsfor the Protection of War Victims at 158-59 (cited in note 13).

57

International Committee of the Red Cross, HospitalLocalties and Safeo Zones 23 (1952).

58

Id at 26-29.

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

Bugnionconflict, handed over Government House to the United Nations Truce
Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which still occupies it.59 Thus, in spite ofseveral incidents such as are inevitable in time of war, Zones I and II wererespected throughout the battle for Jerusalem, largely because the ICRC kept
one or more delegates, assisted by dedicated nurses, permanently in each. Their
effective supervision of the zones gave the belligerents a firm guarantee that they
were being used only for their proper purpose.
Although the number of people who actually found temporary refuge inthose zones remained much lower than the ICRC had anticipated,6 ° it would
have been irresponsible not to take that experience into account in the context
of the work aimed at drawing up the new Geneva Conventions. However, theneutralized zones of Jerusalem were a departure from the proposals made by theInternational Committee based on the conclusions of the conferences of expertsthat had met to discuss those issues.6 1 While the experts had envisaged relatively
permanent zones located a long way from the front, practice had led to thecreation of temporary zones on the very spot where fighting was taking place.
The 1CRC therefore added to the draft conventions that it had communicated tostates and National Societies invited to attend the Stockholm Conference, by
proposing a new draft article on neutralized zones.62 The outcome was Article 15of the Fourth Convention:
Any Party to the conflict may, either direct or through a neutral State orsome humanitarian organization, propose to the adverse Party to establish,
in the regions where fighting is taking place, neutralized zones intended toshelter from the effects of war the following persons, without distinction:(a) wounded and sick combatants or non-combatants;

59

Id at 29-36.

60

The ICRC delegation had made arrangements to accommodate several thousand refugees at atime, but for various reasons only a small fraction of that number took refuge in the neutral
zones. ICRC Archives, file G.59/1/GC, file IV, Guerre divile en Palestine,Mission de M. de Reynier

61(box 830) and file XX, Zones de securitd souspavillon CICR (box 843); Les Zones de Sicutit Constitues enPalestineSous le Drapeaudu Comiti Internationalde la Croix-Rouge, 30 Revue internationale de la CroixRouge 409 (1948); Zones sanitaireset zones de secunti, 33 Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 442,
469-83 (1951); International Committee of the Red Cross: Report on General Activities (Juy 1, 1947December31, 1948) at 105-09 (ICRC 1949); HospitalLocalitiesand Safey Zones at 23-36 (cited in note57); and monthly articles entided Le Comiti International de la Croix-Rouge en Palestine in theInternational Review of the Red Cross at 30 Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 329 (1948), 30
Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 456, 460-63 (1948), 30 Revue intemationale de la CroixRouge 552, 558-59 (1948), 30 Revue internationale de la Croix-Rouge 615, 615-18 (1948), 30
Revue intemationale de la Croix-Rouge 781 (1948).
Rapport relatifaux localitis et zones sanitaires et de sicuritd, 28 Revue intemationale de la Croix-Rouge

62

391 (1946).
Draft Article 12(b) of the Draft Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons inTime of War, in International Committee of the Red Cross, Draft Revised or New Conventionsfor theProtection of War Victims: Addenda andAmendments, Doc No 4A at 13-14 (cited in note 13).

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ChicagoJournalof InternadionalLaw

civilian persons who take no part in hostilities, and who, while they
reside in the zones, perform no work of a military character.
When the Parties concerned have agreed upon the geographical position,
administration, food supply and supervision of the proposed neutralized
zone, a written agreement shall be concluded and signed by theshall fix therepresentatives of the Parties to the conflict. The agreement
63
beginning and the duration of the neutralization of the zone.
(b)

In both cases, developments of international humanitarian law were thedirect consequence of initiatives taken by the ICRC in conflict areas. Many more
examples could be given. Indeed, the development of international humanitarian
law appears to mirror, largely, ICRC operations in the field. The development of
ICRC operations on the ground could perhaps truly be said to be the main
driving force behind the development of international humanitarian law.
In Prosecutor v. Tadic, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia expressly acknowledged the ICRC's
contribution to the development of customary international humanitarian law:
As is well known, the ICRC has been very active in promoting thedevelopment, implementation and dissemination of international
humanitarian law. From the angle that is of relevance to us, namely the
emergence of customary rules on internal armed conflict, the ICRC has
made a remarkable contribution by appealing to the parties to armed
conflicts to respect international humanitarian law. It is notable that, whenconfronted with non-international armed conflicts, the ICRC has promoted
the application by the contending parties of the basic principles ofhumanitarian law. In addition, whenever possible, it has endeavored topersuade the conflicting parties to abide by the Geneva Conventions of1949 or at least by their principal provisions ....
The practical results the ICRC has thus achieved in inducing compliancewith international humanitarian law ought therefore to be regarded as anelement of actual international practice; this is an element that has beenconspicuously instrumental in the emergence or crystallization of customary64
rules.

63

Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 6 UST at 3516
(cited in note 21). For the legislative history of Article 15 of the Fourth Convention (Article 12(b)of the provisional numbering used during the preparatory works), see Seventeenth International
Conference of the Red Cross, Draft Revised or New Conventions for the Protection of War Victims:
Addenda andAmendments, Doc No 4A at 13-14 (cited in note 13); XVIIe Conference internationale
de la Croix-Rouge, Risumi des dibats des sous-commissions de la Commissionjuridique51; Revised and New
Draft Conventions for the Protection of War Victims: Texts Approved and Amended by the XVIIthInternational Red Cross Conference at 117-118 (cited in note 16); 1 Final Record of the Diplomatic
Conference of Geneva of 1949 at 115-16, 300; 2-A Final Record 1949 at 626-30, 783-86, 807, 816-17,
850; 2-B Final Record 1949 at 190, 392; 3 Final Record 1949 at 105-06 (Federal Political
Department, Bern 1949).

64

Prosecutor v Tadic, Case No 160 (ICTY Appeals Chamber, Oct 2, 1995), in Marco Sass61i andAntoine A. Bouvier, eds, How Does Law Protect in War? Cases, Documents and Teaching Materials on
Contemporary Practicein InternationalHumanitarianLaw 1159, 1185-86, 109 (ICRC 1999).

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

BugnionVII. THE ROLE OF THE ICRC TODAYThe Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross, meetingin Geneva in October 1986, stipulate that the role of the ICRC is, among others,
to prepare any development of international humanitarian law. 65 What,
specifically, does this involve?
The first requirement is to monitor the implementation of international
humanitarian law. The ICRC, whose task it is to endeavor at all times to provide
protection and assistance to the victims of conflicts and which is generally indaily contact with all the warring parties, is particularly well placed to observe theneeds of victims and how belligerents discharge their humanitarian law
obligations.
The second requirement is the need to analyze behavior so as todistinguish cases where the current rules are really inadequate from violations ofinternational humanitarian law. When repulsive acts are committed, the naturaltendency is to demand the adoption of new rules, when in fact the problem isusually a matter of violations of existing rules.6 6 If it is found, however, thatlegislation is not adequate and that a development of the rules is desirable, theICRC must start by gathering the documents and doing the research that will
make it possible to demonstrate the need for a development, to identify what isbeing done by states and the other entities concerned, and to familiarize itself
with work that may perhaps have been done outside the organization. It must
organize consultations among experts from different countries and legal
traditions. The purpose of the consultations should not only be to acquire thenecessary expertise but also to determine whether there is sufficient political will
for the successful adoption of new rules.
Based on the views of the experts, the ICRC then prepares draft articles.
Before submitting them to a diplomatic conference, the ICRC has always sought
the support of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
and we noticed, for instance, the decisive support which the SeventeenthInternational Conference, meeting in Stockholm in 1948, expressed for the draft

65

Article 5.2(g) of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in

Handbook of the InternationalRed Cross at 422 (cited in note 28).
66

This was seen clearly when Saddam Hussein set fire to Kuwait's oil wells in February 1991,
causing unprecedented atmospheric pollution. There were calls from everywhere to adopt newnorms aimed at preventing a repetition of such behavior. There was even talk of the need for a
fifth Geneva Convention to protect the environment in time of armed conflict. Based on a
mandate given to it by the United Nations General Assembly, the ICRC organized two
consultations of experts and submitted two reports to the General Assembly that made it possible
to demonstrate that new codification was unnecessary.

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ChicagoJournalof InternationalLaw

conventions prepared by the ICRC.67 The National Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties can influence their respective governments and must also be mobilized.
It is undeniable that the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines could
not have been adopted had the Movement not had a common position and had
the National Societies not been called upon to approach their respective
governments.6 8
Should the ICRC also appeal to public opinion? The question is a complex
one. Clearly, governments will be reluctant to interest themselves strongly in a
new draft humanitarian law treaty without the pressure of public opinion. On
the other hand, those same governments could well withhold their support if
they have the feeling that the ICRC is appealing to public opinion in order toapply pressure to them. The ICRC's margin for maneuver in this area is slim.
Since the ICRC does not have the authority to convene a diplomaticconference to revise or make additions to the Geneva Conventions, it must
forward its drafts to the Swiss government, which is the depositary of theConventions. 69 The role of the ICRC does not end, however, when it forwards
its draft conventions to the Swiss Federal Council. ICRC representatives played
an active part at the Diplomatic Conferences of 1929, 1949, and 1974-77; they
were given the task, in particular, of explaining the draft articles tabled and took
part in the deliberations and meetings of the plenary, the committees, or theworking groups. The ICRC's role is not simply to explain the texts and toprovide legal and technical expertise, important as this is to the successful
67

68

69

On the decisive role played by the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescentin the development of international humanitarian law, the reader may refer to Philippe Abplanalp,
The InternationalConferences of the Red Cross as a Factorfor the Development of InternationalHumanitaian
Law and the Cohesion of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, 35 Intl Rev Red Cross
520 (1995).
Council of Delegates, Resolutions of the Council of Delegates, Res No 3: Mines, 33 Intl Rev Red Cross
488, 491-93 (1993); Council of Delegates, Resolutions of the Council of Delegates, Res No 10: AntiPersonnel Landmines, 36 Intl Rev Red Cross 139, 151 (1996). See also Maresca and Maslen, eds,
The Banning of Anti-personnel Landmines (cited in note 49). The Council of Delegates of theInternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the body where the representatives of allcomponents of the Movement meet to discuss matters which concern the Movement as a whole;
the members of the Council are the delegations from National Societies, the ICRC, and theFederation.
Frangois-Charles Pictet describes the relationship in this way:
A kind of sharing of responsibility has come about: it is the task of the ICRC to take theinitiative when it perceives the need for new rules of law and to formulate draft articles.
Once this preparatory work has been completed, where appropriate with the help ofoutside experts, it is the task of the Swiss Federal Council to convene a diplomaticconference to consider the texts. Organizing and chairing such a conference is by nomeans a sinecure. The host country's responsibility in both material and political terms is
considerable, because the country is inevitably held responsible for the success, or
possibly failure, of the negotiations.
Le CICR, sa significaionpour la Suisse dans le monde d'aujourd'bui, Assembl~e des d~lgu~s (Mar 27,1981), in Forum Helveicum 21, 26.

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The ICRC and the Development of InternationalHumanitarianLaw

Bugnionoutcome of any codification process. It also has to make the voice of war
victims heard at gatherings of diplomats, military personnel, and lawyers, who
are concerned first and foremost with the interests of their respective
governments.
When a treaty is finally adopted, it is the ICRC, once again, that is
responsible for publicizing it and inviting states to become party to it.
VIII. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE
The Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
adopted by the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross meetingin Geneva in October 1986, stipulate that the role of the ICRC is in particular"to work for the understanding and dissemination of knowledge of international
humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts and to prepare any development
thereof.' ' "U What are the prospects today for the development of international
humanitarian law?
Following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, many voices wereraised, in the United States and elsewhere, questioning the relevance ofinternational humanitarian law in the context of the fight against terrorism.
In a desire to find answers to those questions, the ICRC organized in 2003
five regional conferences of experts on international humanitarian law; they met
in Cairo, Pretoria, Kuala Lumpur, Mexico, and Bruges (Belgium). The general
feeling among the experts consulted, who came from every region of the world,
was that international humanitarian law applicable to international armed
conflicts is on the whole adequate to deal with the protection needs arising frompresent-day conflicts. The experts recognized that it would be desirable toenhance the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts but did
not conceal their doubts as to whether states had the political will to adopt any
new rules applicable to such conflicts."'
In a declaration adopted by consensus, the Twenty-eighth International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which met in Geneva from 2 to
6 December 2003, unequivocally recognized the relevance of international
humanitarian law in today's armed conflicts.7 2 The ICRC, for its part, has no
70

71

72

Article 5.2(g) of the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in
Handbook of the InternationalRed Cross at 422 (cited in note 28).
Twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, International

HumanitarianLaw and the Challenges of ContemporaryArmed Conflicts 22 (ICRC 2003), available online
at <http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng.nsf/htmlal/5TALFN/$Fie/Reaf /2Oand/20devMain%20report-Oct/o202003.pdf> (visited Mar 28, 2004).
Twenty-eighth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (Geneva, Dec 2-6,
2003), Declaration, 85 Intl Rev Red Cross 885, 888-91, and Twenty-eighth International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Resolution 1,85 Intl Rev Red Cross 885, 886--87(2003).

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draft comprehensive revision of the Geneva Conventions or their Additional
Protocols in the works today. The difficulty of new codification in aninternational community that is deeply divided and that currently has more than
190 members is all too apparent.7 3Experience shows, moreover, that developments in international
humanitarian law have never occurred durante bello but always after the end of
hostilities.7 4 The world, however, is still in a climate dominated by theconsequences of 11 September 2001.
Finally, one can never be sure that a draft codification will result in a real
improvement in protection for the individual. The law of war represents acompromise between humanitarian requirements, on the one hand, and theimperatives of the conduct of hostilities, on the other. If an attempt were madeto renegotiate the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols in thecurrent climate, the probable result would be an enhancement of the coercive
measures available to states to guarantee their security, to the detriment of theprotection of individuals.7 ' An overall revision is therefore not on the agenda.
However, the ICRC does wish to see certain specific projects succeed that
address developments with clearly defined objectives. Those objectives relate inparticular to certain technological developments in weaponry, where the ICRC iseager to maintain the adequacy of law in the face of technological development.
In the last few years, the ICRC has directed its efforts to the following fourareas in particular:" the prohibition of blinding laser weapons, which was achieved by the76
adoption on 13 October 1995 of Protocol IV to the 1980 Convention;* the prohibition of anti-personnel landmines, which cause atrocious
damage among the civilian population, in many cases well after the

73

74

75

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The mechanisms for drafting treaties are still, in the main, the same as they were at the time of theCongress of Vienna (1814-15), which brought together the representatives of eight states that all
belonged to the same geographical area and all shared the same political culture and whose
diplomats spoke the same language.
It was thus the 1929 Diplomatic Conference that drew the lessons from the First World War, andthe 1949 Conference that drew those from the Second World War. The wars of national
liberation, which were at the heart of the deliberations of the 1974-77 Conference, were mostly
over before that Conference opened.
On the penalty for failed codification, the reader should refer to the excellent article by Professor
Richard R. Baxter, The Effects of Ill-Conceived Codification and Development of InternationalLaw, in En
bommage d PaulGuggenheim 146 (Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva and Graduate Instituteof International Studies 1968).
Additional Protocol to 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: Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV), 35 ILM 1218 (1998).

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Bugnionfighting is over; the prohibition was achieved with the adoption of the
Ottawa Convention on 18 September 1997;77* the extension to non-international armed conflicts of the scope of the1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons; the extension wasachieved with the adoption of the amended Article 1 on 21 December
2001 ;78"
the adoption of a legal instrument concerning the explosive remnants ofwar: every recent conflict has left on the battlefield vast quantities of
unexploded ordnance, particularly because of the massive use of cluster
bombs. These munitions cause devastation among the civilian
population, in many cases long after the fighting is over." A new
Protocol to the 1980 Convention (Protocol V) on Explosive Remnantsof War was adopted on 28 November 2003.80
With respect to the future, the ICRC is particularly concerned by threeissues: anti-vehicle mines, the question of the emblem, and protections ofvictims of internal conflicts.
First, provided there is an adequate basis for consensus among interested
governments, the ICRC is ready to conduct consultations with a view to theadoption of a legally binding instrument regulating the use of anti-vehicle mines,
which continue claiming victims long after fighting is over; such a protocol
could in particular specify the minimum weight necessary for detonating themines and provide for self-neutralizing mechanisms.
Second, the ICRC would like to see adopted a draft Protocol additional to
the Geneva Conventions on the emblem: we know for a fact that the
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Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction, 36 ILM 1507 (1997) (cited in note 36).
Convention on Prvhibilionsor Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed
to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects: Text with Amendments and ProtocolsAdopted
through 21 December2001 at 12-13 (ICRC 2002).
Every explosive ammunition is normally fitted with a safety device that prevents it from
exploding unexpectedly, particularly when the shot is fired or when the bomb is dropped. Whenthe shot is fired or the bomb dropped, the safety device is unlocked; the projectile is then likely to
explode on the slightest contact. Unexploded projectiles are generally more sensitive than mines.
For civilians, the risk of accidents due to the presence of unexploded ordnance increases after thefighting ends, since civilians seek to resume normal life by starting to cultivate the land again,
collecting firewood, letting their children play in the open, etc. That is when the unexploded
ordnance-which serves no useful military purpose, even during the fighting-causes the greatest
devastation.
Item 10 of the provisional agenda, Meeting of States Parties to 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, 2003 Sess Geneva (27-28 November
2003) UN Doc CCW/MSP/2003/2 (2003); Louis Maresca, Adoption of the Protocol on Explosive
Remnants of War (Protocol V) by States Partiesto the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, 17-28
November 2003, note DC/JUR/MINA 03/163 (2003) (available in the ICRC archives).

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coexistence of two emblems-the red cross and the red crescent-jeopardizes
their protective value, especially in situations where the belligerents use different
emblems to distinguish their medical services. Furthermore, this situation has so
far prevented formal recognition and acceptance of Israel's relief society (MagenDavid Adorn in Israel) because it uses an emblem that is not recognized by the
Geneva Conventions. The consultations held in recent years, and particularly in
2000, made it possible to identify a comprehensive and lasting solution to thisissue, on the basis of which it seemed possible to arrive at a consensus. The
ICRC had prepared, with the help of government and Movement experts who
met in a joint working group, a draft Protocol III additional to the Geneva
Conventions. Agreement was about to be reached, and the Swiss government
had agreed to convene a Diplomatic Conference to adopt the Protocol before
the end of 2000, when the resumption of confrontations in the Middle East
forced the suspension of the consultations. The ICRC and the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement are nevertheless determined to reach acomprehensive and lasting solution to the question of the emblem, based on the81
draft Protocol III, as soon as circumstances permit.
Finally, while it is widely accepted that the law applicable to international
conflicts generally meets the protection needs of the victims of those conflicts
provided the rules in force are respected, it is equally certain that the rules
applicable to non-international armed conflicts offer the victims of thoseconflicts only minimal protection. To be convinced of this one has only tocompare the draft Protocol II that the ICRC submitted to the Diplomatic
Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International
Humanitarian Law (1974-77) with the text finally adopted by the Conference.
An enhancement of the protection afforded to the victims of those conflicts
would be desirable and could, for example, take the form of a set of minimum
provisions that would be applicable in all circumstances and all armed conflicts,
regardless of their status. It remains to be seen, however, whether states areprepared today to accept a tightening of the rules applicable to non-internationalarmed conflicts.
IX. CONCLUSIONSThe International Committee of the Red Cross was created to promote
Dunant's two ideas: the creation of relief societies for the wounded and theadoption of a treaty to protect the wounded and anyone who endeavored tocome to their aid. No one had imagined that the organization would intervene
81Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Twenty-eighth International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Report on the Follow-up of Resolution 3 of the 27th
International Conference on the Emblem (ICRC 2003); Frangois Bugnion, Towards a Comprehensive

Solution to the Quesion of the Emblem (ICRC 2d ed 2003).

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Bugnionon the battlefield to provide protection and assistance to the victims of war, andthe ICRC itself asserted for a long time that its place was not in the theatre of
hostilities.82 History, however, decided otherwise, and, since the time of theFranco-Prussian war of 1870, it has been the ICRC's task to play the role of aneutral intermediary between belligerents. That role has developed continuously,
and today the ICRC is mainly known for its activity in conflict areas.
Nevertheless, the ICRC has never renounced the mandate for which it was
created, particularly where the development of international humanitarian law isconcerned. That role has lost none of its importance. In fact, from the historicalstandpoint, one may wonder which is the more important: operations on the
ground or the development of law. On the scales of history, do the 11,000 visits
to places of detention that ICRC delegates made during the Second World War
and the 450,000 tons of aid routed to the prisoner-of-war camps outweigh the1929 Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War? The question,
however, is irrelevant, because each requires the other. How effective would thedelegates' work have been without the backing of the Convention? What would
have been the fate of the Convention without the action taken by the delegates
responsible for ensuring it was respected?
One can thus understand what makes the nature of the ICRC's work so
special. It is not embodied in any particular activity-be it operations on the
ground, or the development of law-but rather in the way those two foci of the
ICRC's work complement each other: operations that are backed byhumanitarian law, while contributing to the development of that law.

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The Committee's reluctance is apparent from many of its own statements. During the FrancoPrussian War of 1870-71, it wrote:
On several occasions, surprise has been expressed that we have not sent a representative
to the theatre of hostilities; it should be superfluous to explain ...why we have notdone so. Our place was not on the battlefield, and the [Red Cross Societies] on eitherside would not have been surprised by our absence. We have remained where our duty
kept us, and where our presence was required by unceasing work.
Notice sur les travaux du Comiti internalionaldu 15juillet au 30 septembre 1870, 5 Bulletin internationaldes Soci&t6s de Secours aux Militaires blesses 1, 12-13 (1870) (original in French). Thirty years
later the Committee was to state: "The International Committee, devoid of any power
whatsoever, had no authority to ensure the strict observance of those rules for whose adoption it
had largely been responsible; its mission was limited to promoting those rules, and it had nointention of overstepping that limit." La part du Comitd internationalde laCroix-Rouge dans I'histoire dela Convention de Genive, 124 Bulletin international des Soci~tds de laCroix-Rouge 208, 216 (1900).

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