bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The protection of medical aircraft in time of conflict
Authors: de La Pradelle Paul
Published: January 2010

Last year the International Review published an article by Général-Major médecin E. Evrard on the legal protection of medical air transports in time of war. We now have pleasure in reproducing the text of a preliminary report submitted to the Vth Session of the Medico-Legal Commission of Monaco. Indeed, studies must be continued in this sphere in which the provisions of international law are at present inadequate. (Ed.)
A day at the Uqhd Field Hospital
Authors: Darbre Eveline
Published: January 2010

One of the ICRC nurses spent several months last year in the field hospital at Uqhd in the Yemen. Her personal notes during the period in which she carried out her humanitarian task are well worth reproduction here, for like the many articles and photographs which we have already published on the ICRC's action in the Yemen, they describe the difficulties of work in the desert but they also show how useful is this task, especially in respect of training nursing personnel
Recognition of the Mauritanian Red Crescent Society (Circular No. 489 to the Central Committees)
Authors: Naville Marcel A.
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 6 June 1973, officially recognized the Mauritanian Red Crescent Society.

The new Society formally applied for recognition by the International Committee on 5 March 1973. Its request was supported by its Statutes, the Mauritanian Government Decree recognizing the Mauritanian Red Crescent as a National Society auxiliary to the public authorities, and a report on the Society's activities.
ICRC Action in Angola
Authors: Etienne Gilbert
Published: January 2010

Professor Etienne, member of the ICRC, was in Angola from 30 August to 13 September 1975. He was accompanied by Mr. F. Schmidt, delegate general for Africa and head of the ICRC Relief Division.
The Employment of Legal Advisers and Teachers of Law in the Armed Forces
Authors: Fleck Dieter
Published: January 2010

During the past few years, activities for the dissemination of international law applicable in armed conflicts have increased substantially. Yet there is no doubt that these efforts will have to be further intensified in order to reflect the increasing importance of humanitarian law in modern armed conflicts.
Medical Training for Disaster Situations
Authors: Baumann J.-A.
Published: January 2010

Medical practice in disaster relief has a very specific aspect as compared with medicine in general, but I must point out that the difference lies in its organization rather than in its therapeutic nature. A doctor who has before him a sick or wounded person, or any other patient, will unstintingly provide care according to the knowledge and training he received at medical school. He will do so in accordance with the code of ethics of his calling, inculcated by his throughout the world draw inspiration from the Hippocratic Oath, the Prayer of Maimonides or the Geneva Declaration. All of this has been accepted and need not enter the type of training which we are about to define. The same applies to nurses and to the doctor's specialized auxiliaries, who are adequately trained for their occupation, in similar yet differentiated fashion.
Recognition of the Fiji Red Cross Society
Authors: Martin Eric
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 20 September 1973, officially recognized the Fiji Red Cross Society.
Recognition of the Central African Red Cross Society
Authors: Martin Eric
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 24 October 1973, officially recognized the Central African Red Cross Society.
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Authors: Morier Andrée
Published: January 2010

At the time when the Centenary of the Red Cross is about to be celebrated, it would be fitting to remember the rôle so many members and officers of the International Committee of the Red Cross have played in the drafting and the proclamation of the Rights of the Child. This declaration called the Declaration of Geneva was proclaimed forty years ago by the Council of the “Save the Children International Union” (SCIU). It was on May 17, 1923, that the final draft in five brief clauses was adopted. It is to be recalled that at that time the ICRC and the SCIU worked in close co-operation. Indeed, it was Dr. Frédéric Ferrière's report (then Vice-President of the ICRC) on the disastrous situation in which children lived in Vienna which incited Eglantyne Jebb to come to Geneva for the first time.
Nineteenth Award of the Florence Nightingale Medal
Authors: Boissier Léopold
Published: January 2010

In its Circular No. 437 of August 23, 1962, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to invite the Central Committees of National Societies to send in the names of nurses and voluntary aids whom they judged qualified to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. This invitation, which quoted Article I of the Regulations, was accompanied by questionnaires bearing various headings for the candidatures.
Stoicism, school of humanity
Authors: Voelke A.-J.
Published: January 2010

The International Review has already published several studies on the history of humanitarian ideas. It was necessary to return to the origins and to mark the milestones in successive civilizations in the search for more humanity in the relations between individuals and nations.
From June to December 1963: more than six thousand visitors!
Authors: V. Y.
Published: January 2010

For some time past a considerable number of visitors from countries near and far have been coming to the headquarters of the ICRC. In 1963, in this year of celebration of the institution's Centenary, their numbers were to increase from June onwards to reach a figure of 4338 during the period July 15 to September 15. The number of visitors between June and December reached a total of over six thousand, to whom should be added delegates to the Congress (400 persons).
Recognition of the Mali Red Cross Society
Authors: Gonard Samuel A.
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross gave official recognition on September 14, 1967, to the Red Cross of Mali.
In Japan: Aviation and Radio in the Service of the Red Cross
Authors: Kiuchi Risaburo , Testuz Michel
Published: January 2010

Japan is a country where nature is by no means benign and where men are often sorely tried by the violence of the elements; in addition, the configuration and population distribution add further to the difficulties.
Recognition of the Red Cross Society of Niger
Authors: Gonard Samuel A.
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition on December 2, 1965, by the International Committee of the Red Cross of the Red Cross Society of Niger.

The new Society, founded in 1963, applied for recognition by letter under date of August 30, 1965. The application was accompanied by the Society's Statutes, an Annual Report and by the Decree of September 7, 1965, by which the Red Cross of Niger was recognized as auxiliary to the public authorities.
Reservations to the Geneva Conventions of 1949
Authors: Pilloud Claude
Published: January 2010

The International Review of the Red Cross published in August 1957 a study concerning reservations to the 1949 Geneva Conventions for the protection of war victims. At that time a total of 66 States were bound by the Conventions and 18 of them had expressed their accession subject to reservations. In July 1965, the Review published an additional study on the same subject. At that date, the number of States bound by the Conventions had increased to a total of 106; of these, 20 had expressed reservations.
Reservations to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 II
Authors: Pilloud Claude
Published: January 2010

On signature, Portugal entered a reservation concerning this article and Article 13 of Convention I but did not maintain it on ratification. It reads as follows:

The Portuguese Government makes a reservation regarding the application of the above Articles in all cases in which the legitimate Government has already asked for and agreed to an armistice or the suspension of military operations of no matter what character, even if the armed forces in the field have not yet capitulated.
African Traditions and Humanitarian Law
Authors: Diallo Yolande
Published: January 2010

Mrs Diallo went recently to Africa at the request of the ICRC for which she drew up a report, which it gives us pleasure to publish, in view of the interest of the Red Cross in demonstrating that the profound idea which inspired it, the idea of respect for human dignity and of unselfish help for those who suffer, is an inseparable part of man's heritage.
Women Air Medical Assistants
Authors: Lomonaco General Tomaso
Published: January 2010

The ever more frequent use of medical helicopters and aircraft by military and civilian organizations of modern nations to give first-aid to the wounded and have them transported has also led the central bodies of various National Red Cross Societies to add the most up-to-date and fastest methods of air transport to the traditional forms of transportation.
The Geneva Convention and the Red Cross
Authors: Huber Max
Published: January 2010

However important the improvements introduced into the First Geneva Convention by the various revisions, the essentials were already contained in the 1864 original.
A hundred years since the publication of “A Memory of Solferino”
Authors: Pfister Anne-Marie
Published: January 2010

What do we find at the origin of the work which does most honour to mankind, at the roots of a movement which has been spread across the world for the past hundred years? There is of course one man, Henry Dunant, but there is also a book. A slight volume which was soon to stir the hearts and consciences of Europe from end to end, by its fluent style, its stark reality and its warmhearted appeal. This was A Memory of Solferino.
Recognition of the Cameroon Red Cross Society
Authors: Boissier Léopold
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition on July 4, 1963, of the Cameroon Red Cross Society by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

This Society applied for recognition by the International Committee by letter dated June 10, 1963. The application was accompanied by the Decree promulgated on January 9,1963, by the Government of the Cameroon Republic which accorded the Society recognition, together with the text of the Society's statutes and a report of its activities.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded on February 17, 1863
Authors: Boissier Léopold
Published: January 2010

Some months after the heart-rending appeal of A Memory of Solferino, five Genevese citizens met to put into practice the proposals which Henry Dunant had made at the end of his book. With the exception of General Dufour, these were men of the middle class, without particular authority in their country and without contacts abroad. Nevertheless, they had faith in themselves and in the immense task which they were to undertake. Their discussions revealed uncommon good sense and a very clear perception of their action's possibilities. They were aware of what they could do in 1863, and they left it to future generations to achieve what would have been Utopian in their day. It was therefore with calm assurance that they addressed themselves to Heads of State and to public opinion.
The European Convention on Human Rights: A useful complement to the Geneva Conventions
Authors: Vasak Karel
Published: January 2010

Although by the very nature of its mission the Red Cross is concerned primarily with man's suffering, its efforts to provide the utmost possible protection for the “victim” dovetail with the vast present-day movement for the international defence of human rights. There is nothing fortuitous in this. As a result particularly of the 1949 Conventions, the humanitarian principles underlying the work of the Red Cross have been incorporated in a body of law and the distinction between this “humanitarian” law and international law in general is becoming less and less marked. If humanitarian lawstill deserves a place to itself, this is due less to its intrinsic character than to themethods used to ensure its observance.
Guerrilla Warfare and Humanitarian Law
Authors: Veuthey Michel
Published: January 2010

The Henry Dunant Institute is currently publishing a book in French only under the titleGuérilla et droit humanitairein its “Collection scientifique.” The author is Mr. Michel Veuthey, an ICRC collaborator, who, since 1967, has taken part in the work of reaffirmation and development of humanitarian law. Mr. J. Pictet, Vice-President of the ICRC, associate professor at the University of Geneva and director of the Institut Henry Dunant, introduces the book with the following preface:

At last we have a complete work on guerrilla warfare, thus fulfilling a real need. Anyone who wishes to study the subject in detail should have a copy of this book.
The Emblem of the Red Cross
Authors: Bugnion F.
Published: January 2010

The marking of ambulances and hospitals is a practice which goes back a long time, but until the middle of the nineteenth century different colours were used by different countries: Austria a white flag, France a red one, Spain and the United States yellow, to mention a few examples. The devices displayed were not generally well known, so that they were seldom respected: it frequently happened that artillery shelled ambulances, that grapeshot riddled the waggons bearing the wounded but displaying no outward sign that their mission was one of mercy.
The Emblem of the Red Cross - A Brief History (III)
Authors: Bugnion F.
Published: January 2010

From the outset, the central committees of the Societies for Relief to Military Wounded developed the habit of corresponding, either direct or through the International Committee. Was not the originality of the institution precisely that community of interests which united National Societies irrespective of frontiers?

Most of the founders of the earliest relief societies had taken part in the 1863 Geneva Conference which initiated the Red Cross movement. They knew each other personally and naturally kept in touch.
The International Red Cross
Authors: Haug Hans
Published: January 2010

At the twentieth meeting of jurists of the German Red Cross in the Federal Republic of Germany, held in Münster last September, the President of the Swiss Red Cross, Professor Hans Haug, spoke on the International Red Cross. Extensive extracts from his paper are given below, as we feel that the problems discussed are of lively and topical interest for all sections of the Red Cross movement.
A Tribute to Jean Pictet
Authors: Hay Alexandre , Beer Henrik , Lossier Jean-Georges , Blishchenko I. P. , Draper G. I. A. D. , Sultan Hamed , Schindler Dietrich
Published: January 2010

On 30 June 1979, Mr. Jean Pictet will reach retirement age after forty-two years of service with the ICRC.

He joined the ICRC in 1937 and has had a very full career. He is a thinker, a jurist, a writer, a teacher and at the same time a man of action, who took part in all major Red Cross undertakings; he is the inspirer and the mentor of the Red Cross.
The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross
Authors: Pictet Jean
Published: January 2010

The Twentieth International Red Cross Conference, meeting in Vienna in 1965, proclaimed the “fundamental principles upon which Red Cross action is based”. Since that time, at every Conference, the representatives of the Red Cross world rise to their feet to hear the solemn reading of those principles.

The principles, however, have not yet been the subject of any commentary. The fact is that the book “Les principes de la Croix-Rouge”, the source of the Vienna text, antedated the official version which, while being close to the model, was not identical with it. The book referred to was indeed a complete work, of a somewhat scientific character, and not a terse commentary designed to serve the general public.
Twenty-first award of the Florence Nightingale Medal: Circular No. 467
Authors: Gonard Samuel A.
Published: January 2010

In its Circular No. 463 of August 23, 1966, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to invite the Central Committees of National Societies to send in the names of nurses and voluntary aids whom they judged qualified to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. This invitation, which quoted Article 1 of the Regulations, was accompanied by questionnaires bearing various headings for the candidatures.
The Reunion of Families in Time of Armed Conflict
Authors: Draper G.I.A.D.
Published: January 2010

The destruction of the unity and integrity of the family, the natural and fundamental group unit of society, according to Article 16 (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, is one of the more tragic consequences of armed conflict. Likewise, in time of peace, the threat to family unity and integrity is one of the potent and inhuman forms of pressure exercised upon individual men and women by Governments in order to secure the regimentation of their peoples. It is salutary to recall, in this context, that one of the purposes of the Law of Nations is to give effect, through appropriate limitations and international supervision of the internal sovereignty of States, to the principle that the protection of human personality and of fundamental rights is the ultimate purpose of all Law, national and international.
Memorandum on the Implementation and the Dissemination of Knowledge of the Geneva Conventions
Authors: Hay Alexandre
Published: January 2010

The International Committee of the Red Cross, on 16 December, sent the governments of States parties to the Geneva Conventions a memorandum on the implementation and the dissemination of knowledge of the Geneva Conventions. We quote that memorandum below:

The Twentieth International Conference of the Red Cross at Vienna in October 1965, in its Resolution No. XXI entitled “Implementation and Dissemination of the Geneva Conventions” expressed the wish that Governments and National Societies submit periodic reports to the ICRC on the steps taken by them in this sphere. On the basis of information received pursuant to that resolution, the ICRC submitted to the International Conferences of the Red Cross at Istanbul and Teheran a report on the implementation of and the dissemination of knowledge of the Geneva Conventions.
The fundamental principles of the Red Cross, peace and human rights
Authors: Moreillon Jacques
Published: January 2010

The theme of this paper is not an easy one. The difficulty of our subject is twofold: on the one hand, two of its three facets (peace and human rights) raise conceptual and interpretative problems; on the other hand, to deal with them together would involve finding a common factor, something which is not obvious even—perhaps especially—within the limited framework of the Red Cross movement.
The International Committee of the Red Cross within the International System
Authors: Freymond Jacques
Published: January 2010

We take pleasure in publishing the following study which was written in the spring of 1971. Some passages, as readers will observe, are no longer topical, such as the information given on the Conference of Government Experts, for our readers will know that, the 1971 conference is being followed by a second session from 3 May to 3 June 1972, in Geneva.

The study appeared in L'Univers politique 1970, and we express our thanks to the Editions Richelieu, Paris, for authorizing reproduction in our Review. (Ed.)
Declarations of interpretation
Authors: Tindemans L.
Published: January 2010

On depositing the instrument of ratification by Belgium of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), done at Geneva on 8 June 1977, the Belgian Government makes the following declarations of interpretation:

The Belgian Government, in view of the travaux préparatories for the international instrument herewith ratified, wishes to emphasize that the Protocol was established to broaden the protection conferred by humanitarian law solely when conventional weapons are used in armed conflicts, without prejudice to the provisions of international law relating to the use of other types of weapons.
Issues in the protection of the wounded and sick
Authors: Bothe Michael , Janssen Karin
Published: January 2010

The Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions, adopted in 1977, broaden the protection afforded by international law to wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces and to medical personnel, medical units and military medical transports in certain circumstances. Their main purpose, however, is to extend to civilians, civilian medical personnel etc. the protection which hitherto was enjoyed only by military personnel. Thanks to the Additional Protocols, military personnel and civilians today enjoy equal protection.
Assistance to protected persons
Authors: Blondel Jean-Luc
Published: January 2010

The questions facing the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement today are no different from those with which the Movement began: What is the best way to help? How can we give immediate aid and also provide long-term protection? To answer these questions we have to go back to the early years of the Movement.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and Health
Authors: Russbach Rémi
Published: January 2010

The ICRC Medical Division, established in November 1977, works for the war wounded, for prisoners, for the civilian population and for the war disabled. Its essential purpose is to keep the victims alive, alleviate their suffering and prevent their sicknesses or wounds from ruining the rest of their lives.

In his summary of ICRC activities during his term of office, (1976–1987) President Alexandre Hay said last May, “The medical sector, completely embryonic when I arrived, has developed considerably and has now achieved a highly praiseworthy quality and dimension. The ICRC and the victims of conflicts owe a great deal to the spirit of initiative, devotion and competence of its doctors”.

The Review is particularly pleased to publish the following article by Dr. Remi Russbach, Chief Medical Officer of the ICRC, who traces the evolution of the Medical Division in the past ten years, emphasizing not only the progress achieved in the execution of its programmes but dealing as well with the problems which the ICRC has had to face in this domain.
The implementation of international humanitarian law and the principle of State sovereignty
Authors: Niyungeko Gérard
Published: January 2010

Before stating the terms of the problem we intend to examine, it is necessary first of all to explain what is meant by “the imperative necessity of implementing international humanitarian law”.
The Belgian Interdepartmental Commission for Humanitarian Law
Authors: Offermans Marc
Published: January 2010

The Belgian Interdepartmental Commission for Humanitarian Law (ICHL) was established by a decision of the Council of Ministers on 20 February 1987. Its main task consists in studying national measures to implement the Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions, and, if need be, the Conventions themselves.
The International Fact-Finding Commission: Article 90 of Protocol I additional to the 1949 Geneva Conventions
Authors: Roach J. Ashley
Published: January 2010

The United States considers many provisions of Protocol I additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 to be either statements of customary international law or to reflect what that law should be. It is in that vein that the United States views Article 90 on the International Fact-Finding Commission. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) military analysis of the Protocols expressed the views of the U.S. Department of Defense on Article 90 as follows:

“One major innovation of the Protocol is the creation of a permanent 15-member International Fact-Finding Commission to investigate alleged grave breaches or serious violations of the Protocols and the Conventions and to facilitate, through its good offices, the restoration of an attitude of respect for the Conventions and [the] Protocol”.
Humanitarian Policy and Operational Activities: The ICRC's responsibilities in connection with the Middle East conflict
Authors: Sandoz Yves
Published: January 2010

In its January-February 1991 issue, the Review informed its readers of the successive representations made by the ICRC from the outbreak of the Middle East conflict both to the States party to the conflict and to the other States to remind them of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions. In particular, the ICRC sent a note verbale on 14 December 1990 to the 164 States party to the Conventions, together with a Memorandum on the applicability of international humanitarian law, and launched appeals to the belligerent States on 17 January and 1 and 24 February 1991.
Human Rights, the Law of Armed Conflict, and Reprisals
Authors: Kalshoven F.
Published: January 2010

The Henry Dunant Institute is inaugurating its collection of scientific works with an important book by F. Kalshoven which is reviewed in this issue. We are pleased to publish below a paper which this writer delivered at the International Congress on Humanitarian Law in San Remo last September. (Ed.)
Red Cross and the Problems of Environment
Authors: Domanska Irena
Published: January 2010

The paper quoted below was submitted, under agenda item 21, to the League Board of Governors at its Mexico meeting in October 1971. We take pleasure in bringing it to the knowledge of our readers, in view of the importance and topical aspect of nature conservancy to which the Red Cross is known to be giving increasing attention in various countries. Several National Societies are drawing up plans for the protection and improvement of the environment. Others have already taken action and some co-operate with other organizations concerned about the subject and which often conduct their own publicity campaigns.

Further on, we give extracts from another communication which was presented by Professor Maurice Marois to the same meeting of the Board of Governors. It deals with the same problem as viewed by the Institut de la Vie from the angle of its own work for the protection of nature.
A book by Henry Dunant, written in collaboration with Dr. Chéron
Authors: Durand André
Published: January 2010

Henry Dunant, speaking briefly in his memoirs of a visit to a Dr. Chéron in rue Taitbout, Paris, on 4 September 1870, added the following interesting detail: “We had just published a book, under his name, which we wrote together.”
Recognition of the Grenada Red Cross Society
Authors: Hay Alexandre
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition of the Grenada Red Cross Society by the International Committee of the Red Cross. This recognition, which took effect on 12 March 1987, brings to 145 the number of National Societies members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions: a quest for universality
Authors: Sommaruga Cornelio
Published: January 2010

Ten years ago, on 8 June 1977, the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts adopted two Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, one relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts and the other to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.
Norwegian Red Cross: Norway and the 1977 Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions
Authors: Egge Bjørn
Published: January 2010

Norway took an active part in the discussions which led to the 1977 Additional Protocols. The Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and the Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts (Geneva, 1974–1977) as well as the meetings of experts which preceded it were attended by numerous representatives from Norway.
Recognition of the Guinean Red Cross Society
Authors: Hay Alexandre
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition of the Guinean Red Cross by the International Committee of the Red Cross. This recognition, which took effect on 1 October 1986, brings to 141 the number of National Societies members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Launching of the Programme of Commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – 125 Years at Work
Authors: The Review
Published: January 2010

In a period of 20 months, from November 1862 to August 1864, an almost unnoticed revolution took place, the result of the feelings aroused in various European countries by the publication of a small book, entitledA Memory of Solferino. Its author, the young Swiss businessman Jean-Henry Dunant, used the sympathy it generated to promote the idea that wounded soldiers should, since they are no longer capable of fighting, cease to be treated as enemies. He wanted nations to organize groups of volunteers who, with the full backing of their respective governments, would stand ready and able to render assistance to wounded and sick members of armies in the field, whether friend or foe.
Internal disturbances and tensions: A new humanitarian approach?
Authors: The Review
Published: January 2010

The common terms “internal disturbances” and “internal tensions” cover a whole range of situations all characterized by acts of violence related to human rights violations and resulting in human suffering. These situations, now so common and widespread throughout the world, are typified by direct confrontations between police and opponents of a regime or by any of a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, ideological, economic or social tensions, which may likewise give rise to police action as a preventive measure.
A measure of humanity in internal disturbances and tensions: proposal for a Code of Conduct
Authors: Gasser Hans-Peter
Published: January 2010

From time to time, States are affected by outbreaks of internal violence. Such upheavals are usually referred to as internal disturbances or tensions, disorders, states of emergency, revolutions or insurrections. These expressions all refer to situations that appear contrary to justice, order, stability and internal peace. There have been many examples of the kind in the past, and we know from the media that they continue to occur. Almost every nation in the world has a history marked by periods of insecurity and protest accompanied by outbreaks of violence.
125th Anniversary of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: The International Red Cross
Authors: Chenot Bernard
Published: January 2010

The commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the Movement will last until October 1989 and will provide a unique opportunity to make the general public, and especially young people, aware of the ideals and the humanitarian activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent; it must also be a time to reflect upon the task accomplished by the Movement in 125 years of existence and on its prospects for the future.
The Geneva Conventions—An important Anniversary—1949–1969
Authors: Pilloud C.
Published: January 2010

The date of 12 August 1949 takes its place amongst the important historic events of which the Red Cross can be justly proud: on 22 August 1864 there was the signing of the First Geneva Convention; the second revision of that Convention and the signing of the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war were made on 27 July 1929 and on 12 August 1949 there were the revision of the old Conventions and the adoption of the Geneva Convention for the protection of civilian persons in time of war. On each occasion protection of the individual was extended to further categories of victims.
The need to restore the Laws and Customs relating to armed Conflicts
Authors: Pictet Jean
Published: January 2010

Socrates recommended that one should begin a dissertation by denning one's terms.

For some time now, the name, “humanitarian law”, has been used to describe the large body of public international law derived from humanitarian sentiments and centred upon the protection of the individual.

The term has both a broad and a narrow sense. In the broad sense, international humanitarian law consists of those rules of international conventional and customary law which ensure respect for the individual and promote his development to the fullest possible extent compatible with law and order and, in time of war, with military necessities.
A Glimpse into the Past: Fifty years of the “Review”
Authors: Segesvary V.
Published: January 2010

“Oh, War is not dead!” cried Henry Dunant at the end of the last century, observing with rigorous penetration that “To judge the past in the light of Holy Writ, after studying the long succession of centuries fraught with wars, is to see history as an indelible indictment of the human species”.
The XXIst International Conference of the Red Cross
Authors: J. P.
Published: January 2010

The International Red Cross held its meeting in Istanbul from 6 to 13 September 1969. No less than 610 delegates, representing 77 States and 83 National Societies of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Lion and Sun, as well as 51 observers, gathered in the fine new Culture Palace. Generously welcomed by the country's high authorities and organized by the Turkish Red Crescent with the assistance of the international institutions of the Red Cross, the XXIst Conference was presided over by Mr. Riza Ceçrel, President of the Turkish Red Crescent. He asked Lady Limerick, Chairman of the Standing Commission, to assume the actual direction of most of the proceedings. Both acquitted themselves of their delicate task with distinction.
The Modern State and the Red Cross
Authors: J.-G. L.
Published: January 2010

In September 1968 the Henry Dunant Institute initiated its activities by a colloquium on “The modern State and the Red Cross”, and it recently published two booklets, the first of which gives the introductory addresses by four well-known persons and the second the substance of the debates which followed and which also brought out a number of facts and new ideas on a vast and important subject.
Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts-Conference of Red Cross Experts - (Circular No. 481)
Authors: Naville Marcel A.
Published: January 2010

In its circular No. 478 of 15 April 1970, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to inform you of its work since the XXIst International Conference of the Red Cross with a view to the reaffirmation and development of international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts, consistent with several resolutions adopted by that conference.
A Contemporary Look at the International Committee of the Red Cross
Authors: Petitpierre Max
Published: January 2010

The International Red Cross is an organization of three constituents. The oldest is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), founded in 1863 by five Geneva citizens following the publication of Henri Dunant's A Souvenir of Solferino. The second is made up of the National Societies of the Red Cross, of the Red Crescent—in the moslem countries—and of the Red Lion and Sun in Iran. There are 114 such societies. There may be only one in each country. (In Israel there is a society similar to a Red Cross Society but it has not yet been admitted into the International Red Cross because its emblem—the Jewish Star—has not been accepted by the International Conferences.) The third constituent is the League of Red Cross Societies which was founded in 1919 and which is the federation of the National Societies. It too has its headquarters in Geneva. Its mission differs from that of the ICRC but the two institutions are linked by an agreement and they co-operate closely in certain cases. The ICRC also co-operates frequently with the National Societies which maintain direct connexion with it.
Mountain Rescue Operations and Life-Saving at Sea in Bulgaria
Authors: Petrov K. , Venov D.
Published: January 2010

For many years, the rescue and life-saving services operating in mountains and on water have been organized by the Bulgarian Red Cross, under the leadership of its Central Committee. These activities, which are of great utility, are familiar to all who benefit from them in Bulgaria and are much appreciated, and they strengthen still more the authority of the Red Cross as a humanitarian organization.
With a Common Purpose
Authors: McArthur Helen G.
Published: January 2010

I have been invited, in 1971, at the time of my retirement, to write an article to the International Review. It has taken over two years to gain sufficient perspective to carry out the assignment; for the thousands of incidents to settle into highlights of experiences in that capacity. I, at first, thought that I had to sort out my activities during the period as a full-time Red Cross nurse and the events which occurred when acting as an officer of my professional organization, the Canadian Nurses' Association. It was only when I recognized, in retrospect, that the two were irretrievably interwoven that I could begin to outline the tapestry of my life during those years. It was the common purpose of the two roles that made the time so fulfilling. To paraphrase the words of a Roman philosopher, “So far as I am an individual, my country is Canada; so far as I am a Red Cross nurse, I am a citizen of the world”. The International Red Cross mapped the road I was to travel as well as serving as a backdrop to all that was to come.
The application of humanitarian law by the armed forces of the United Nations Organization
Authors: Sandoz Yves
Published: January 2010

The events in Lebanon and the despatch of a UN armed force to keep the peace there brings into focus a problem which cannot be ignored, the application of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts. This problem has two aspects:

— What is the nature of the armed forces which the UN commits or can commit at the present time?

— To what extent are these armed forces obliged to apply humanitarian law?
Recognition of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society
Authors: Hay Alexandre
Published: January 2010

We have the honour to inform you that the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society, which was officially recognized on 15 September 1977 by the International Committee of the Red Cross provided that the said Society submitted a declaration of adherence to the Statutes of the International Red Cross, has now transmitted this document to us, in compliance with the procedure resulting from Resolution XI of the Seventeenth International Red Cross Conference. This official recognition brings the number of member Societies of the International Red Cross to 125.
The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross (IV)
Authors: Pictet Jean
Published: January 2010

The principle of proportionality, though it would seem self-evident, is nevertheless difficult to apply fully in real life, where it encounters numerous obstacles.

Let us take some real examples from the Red Cross world. During the Second World War, the ICRC transported and distributed in prisoner-of-war camps of certain countries vast quantities of relief packages it received from the countries of origin of the prisoners. It accepted this task since it was a good thing for at least part of the victims to receive assistance. There were also however many prisoners who received nothing at all, because their countries were powerless to act. The ICRC then tried to arrange for some of the packages addressed to the more fortunate prisoners to be delivered to those in greatest need. The donors sometimes agreed to this, but doing so was nevertheless exceptional and affected only a small proportion of the total shipments.
Human rights relating to spiritual assistance as embodied in the Geneva Conventions of 1949
Authors: Hiebel Jean-Luc
Published: January 2010

Within the general right of spiritual assistance there is a distinction between the right to receive assistance and the right to give it. These rights are based on the right of religious freedom.

If they are to be exercised, these rights necessitate means—hence the right to aid—and agents—hence the rights of relief societies.
International Humanitarian Law and Internationalized Internal Armed Conflicts
Authors: Schindler Dietrich
Published: January 2010

Internationalized internal armed conflicts have become a common feature of the past decades. In numerous civil wars foreign armed forces have intervened in favour of one or the other party and thereby attempted to influence the outcome of the conflict. Various causes have led to this development. One of them is the increased interdependence of States, as a consequence of which every civil war will affect other States and, conversely, the attitudes of other States may have an impact on the outcome of the civil war, even without any intervention. Another cause can be found in the world's ideological cleavage which divides nations and results in the overlapping of internal and international conflicts. Among further causes we can mention the existence of military blocs and of regional groupings which have an interest in preventing the overthrow of régimes within the bloc and tend to encourage alterations in other blocs. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. Whereas in earlier times States waged open wars in order to increase their power, today, due to the prohibition of the use of force, they rather endeavour to achieve the same result by interfering in the internal affairs of other States. Interference in internal conflicts is often a substitute for an international war. The instability of many contemporary régimes, mainly of the Third World, further favours the internationalization of internal conflicts.
The Hiroshima disaster (II)
Authors: Junod Marcel
Published: January 2010

At the beginning of the afternoon, we were received by the Japanese authorities in what remained of the former police headquarters. We were offered a frugal lunch. Each guest was given a can of Japanese food: seaweed, meat and beans, and a can of mandarin oranges. A piece of brown bread, with rather a strange taste, completed this meal; for drinks, we had water. This fare showed to what extent the Japanese themselves were short of supplies.
International Humanitarian Law and the Journalists' Mission
Authors: Modoux Alain
Published: January 2010

As head of the ICRC Information Departement in Geneva, I have the dual task of directing all activities relating to the dissemination of knowledge of international humanitarian law, and of promoting the relations of the ICRC with representatives of the mass media. I shall be commenting briefly in the following pages from this dual point of view, although I wish to make it clear from the start that I am neither a jurist nor a journalist.
Some logistical aspects of the assistance activities of the ICRC
Authors: Lendorff Andreas
Published: January 2010

I am very honoured and pleased to be given the opportunity to explain to you the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and some of the logistical aspects of its assistance activities. No doubt many of you know about the Red Cross in general but it might be of interest to you to hear about the special position and role of the ICRC in the Red Cross movement and among all the many other humanitarian organizations. I shall afterwards explain what are the logistical difficulties the ICRC must overcome in its assistance activities.
Technical note on the colours of the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblem
Authors: Eberlin Ph.
Published: January 2010

Should the colours of the Red Cross emblem be standardized?

This seems to give concern to some members of the Red Cross movement and the ICRC has been asked the same question on several occasions. One proposal was that the colours of the emblem be defined scientifically and that only those shades which comply with the standards thus adopted be used for our movement's armbands, flags, distinctive signs, for the writing paper and the publications.
Guerrilla Warfare and Humanitarian Law
Authors: Veuthey Michel
Published: January 2010

More than seven years have elapsed since the first edition of this work. Seven years which have seen an increase rather than a decline of violence, and often an increasing contempt for life and for fundamental human rights.
The role of the doctor in ICRC visits to prisoners
Authors: Reyes Hernán , Russbach Rémi
Published: January 2010

The ICRC visits prisoners all over the world, whether they are prisoners of war in camps or political detainees held in prisons or police stations. In 1990, ICRC delegates visited more than 84,000 prisoners in about 40 countries. These visits are made by teams of delegates, the number of whom varies depending on the number of prisoners to be seen. Each team is made up of Swiss delegates specially trained to carry out such visits, including at least one doctor
Training medical personnel: HELP and SOS courses
Authors: Perrin Pierre
Published: January 2010

The early 1980s marked a turning point for humanitarian aid. During those years most of the major emergency relief agencies became aware that steps were needed to heighten the efficiency of their assistance to disaster victims.

New policies were therefore introduced to:

• promote preventive measures,

• codify assessment methods,

• standardize medicines and equipment,

• rationalize intervention criteria, and

• improve coordination among humanitarian organizations.
The protection of foreign workers and volunteers in situations of internal conflict, with special reference to the taking of hostages
Authors: Piernas Carlos Jiménez
Published: January 2010

One has only to glance at a newspaper to realize that much of today's world is in a state of upheaval and permanent crisis. Many countries are affected by internal conflicts of one sort or another, making the social stability usually enjoyed in North America and Western Europe a rare privilege. These internal conflicts constitute fertile breeding grounds for the most arbitrary violence against defenceless victims and for increasingly frequent violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, whether a national of the country concerned or an alien.
Swiss neutrality, ICRC neutrality: are they indissociable? An independence worth protecting
Authors: Sommaruga Cornelio
Published: January 2010

As the Swiss people ponder over their European destiny and the future of Switzerland's status of permanent neutrality, some commentators have raised the question whether the ICRC will be able to maintain complete independence — whichever way Switzerland turns — in conducting its humanitarian operations based on the fundamental principles of the Red Cross.
Neutral mariners and humanitarian law: a precedent for protecting neutrals in armed conflict
Authors: Hoffman Michael Harris
Published: January 2010

Stormy petrels are small, dark-hued seagoing birds. In violent weather they fly between the waves for protection. According to the lore of the sea, they are heralds of danger.

For centuries, neutral mariners navigating the same waters have tried to avoid the violence that engulfed seafaring warriors. In our mobile world, their experience is a cautionary tale and represents a legal precedent for all international travellers. In recent times airline passengers, expatriate workers and many others have been endangered by conflicts not their own. When that happens, their lives depend on the same principles that have been forged to protect neutrals at sea. Neutral mariners have been the stormy petrels of international law.
Unity and plurality of the emblems
Authors: Sommaruga Cornelio
Published: January 2010

The armed conflicts which are causing bloodshed in a number of regions of the world have led special emphasis to be laid on one of the fundamental problems of humanitarian action in times of war: how to ensure respect for emblems providing protection for the victims of violence and for those who come to their assistance.