The establishment of international war crimes tribunals is a positive step. Nevertheless, the ICRC has made it clear that its representatives will not present themselves as witnesses in court. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has approved this attitude. The same goes for the proliferation of weapons, especially for small and light ones that end up in the hand of irresponsable people that have never been educated about their responsabilities. For sustained changes, a lever should be applied in these fields.
Conflicts are still on the daily agenda.
Rwanda, Kosovo or Chechnya are just a few. Dictators or military regimes are not impressed by appeals to reason, resolutions or protest letters. For years, the ICRC has been in support of actions in this direction - but of course, the ICRC cannot be in charge of such efforts. In the long run, it is necessary to create a police or military intervention force that would be prepared and trained in peacetime. It should intervene in the case of violations of humanitarian international law and human rights.