INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE
Its History
The Red Cross is founded on the experience of one man. Henry Dunant of Geneva was travelling in Italy, in 1859, and reached Solfe- rino where a battle had just taken place between Austrians, French and Piedmontese. Deeply distressed by the sight of the wounded, abandoned in their thousands, he attempted to bring them relief and called upon the local population to give assistance. Later, in a moving book soon to become famous, "A Memory of Solferino", he suggested the development of voluntary aid by setting up relief societies. These, the future National Red Cross Societies, would assist the army medical services. Dunant also proposed that the work of those societies should be based on an international conven- tion, an idea which was to lead to the protection of the wounded, of personnel caring for them, and of hospitals.
1863. Foundation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
In 1863, four Genevese citizens, taking up Dunant's ideas, joined him in establishing a committee, later to become the ICRC, which forthwith convened an international conference in Geneva. The conference, which consisted of experts from 16 countries, laid the foundations of the Red Cross. The first national relief societies were formed shortly afterwards. In the following year, on the initiative of the Geneva Committee, the plenipotentiaries of 12 nations signed the «Geneva Convention of August 22, 1864, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field". The protective emblem, a red cross on a white ground, was then brought into use. It was thus that the world-wide movement of the Red Cross, which now comprises 135 National Societies and more than 250 million supporters, was born of the faith and energy of the first members of the
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS
Its Structure
The ICRC is an independent institution of a private character, neu- tral as regards politics, ideology and religion. It is the founder body
of the Red Cross and has its headquarters in Geneva.
The ICRC is exclusively composed of Swiss nationals, not exceeding 25 members, recruited by co-optation and making corporate deci- sions. Its international character is based on its mission and not on its composition.
The decisions of the ICRC are carried out by departments set up as and when required, under a directorate.
Neutral institution — In time of war, civil war or internal disturban- ces, the ICRC acts as a neutral institution, and endeavours to ensure that the victims of such conflicts, whether civilians or soldiers, receive protection and assistance.
Its Role
Right of initiative --- - The ICRC can take any humanitarian initiative in conformity with its rôle as a specifically neutral and independent institution.
Guardian of the principles - The ICRC sees to the maintenance of the fundamental and permanent principles of the Red Cross. It also deci- des on the recognition of National Societies, which then officially become part of the International Red Cross.
Promoter of the Geneva Conventions — The ICRC works for the deve- lopment of international humanitarian law, for the understanding and dissemination of the Geneva Conventions. It carries out the duties incumbent upon it under those Conventions, ensures that they are applied, and develops them where necessary.
Its Activities
As a neutral institution, the ICRC endeavours to ensure protection and assistance to military and civilian victims of conflicts and of their direct consequences. It transmits donations, in cash and in kind, to every part of the world. Thus:
During the 1939-1945 war
the ICRC
carried out
11,000 visits to prisoner-of-war and civilian internment camps,
forwarded and distributed
relief in those camps to a total value of 3.5 thousand million Swiss francs,
provided
for the civilian population in occupied territory relief amounting to the equi- valent of 500 million Swiss francs (for the most part dispensed by a body administered jointly with the League of Red Cross Societies).
See REPORT of the ICRC on its activi- ties during the Second World War,
3 vols., 1948, 1595 pp.
visited
Since the end of the war the ICRC has
civilian and military prisoners held in about a thousand camps, prisons and hospitals in many countries, as a result of conflicts or internal disturbances,
reunited
several hundred thousand families dis- persed by war in various countries,
aided
war disabled in different parts of the world,
distributed
relief supplies to a total value of a thou- sand million Swiss francs to victims of the numerous conflicts in past decades (among the most outstanding relief actions were those carried out in Hun- gary, North Africa, the Arabian Penin- sula, the Asian sub-continent, Vietnam, the Middle East, Nigeria, Cyprus, Zim- babwe, Bangladesh, Central and South America, Kampuchea and Angola).
undertaken
a number of studies on the develop- ment of international humanitarian law, with the co-operation of experts.
RED CROSS
The Central
Tracing Agency
has a card-index comprising
45 million cards, representing 15 million individual cases
In 1939, as in 1914, the ICRC opened an information agency in Geneva in order to transmit details concerning military personnel in captivity. During the Second World War, the Central Prisoners of War Agency,
whose services soon extended to civilians, received 59 million letters and telegrams and despatched an even larger number. It is now called the Central Tracing Agency and its work consists in registering and forwarding any information obtained on prisoners of war, civilian internees, persons released or repatriated, etc., mainly on the basis of lists of names which it receives. It traces civilians and soldiers missing during conflicts and informs their families. It draws up captivity and death certificates.
When normal means of communication are cut off, it forwards mes- sages and transmits news between civilians separated by the events, and between prisoners and their families. Since the end of the war, thousands of letters have been received and forwarded, and hun- dreds of thousands of inquiries made.
The Central Tracing Agency was set up in compliance with the requirements of the Geneva Conventions.
See: ICRC. The Central Tracing Agency, 1974.
The International
Tracing Service
The International Tracing Service, whose headquarters is at Arolsen (Federal Republic of Germany), is today the most important centre of information concerning persons deported or displaced during the Second World War, whether in Germany or in countries occupied by German troops. Responsibility for administering the Service was entrusted to the ICRC in 1955.
Its card-index contains
25 million cards,
2 million inquiries received since 1951.