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Humanitarian policy and operational activities: ICRC activities for refugees and displaced civilians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2010

Frédéric Maurice  and
Jean de Courten
Frédéric Maurice
Affiliation:
Former ICRC Head of Delegation in Africa and the Middle East
Jean de Courten
Affiliation:
ICRC Director of Operations
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Extract

The Red Gross has been involved with refugees for many years, in fact ever since the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement began assisting the victims of wars, revolutions and other disturbances. All the Movement's institutions take part at some stage in dealing with refugees, deportees and persons displaced within their own countries, for instance by providing protection in the countries of origin at the time of exile, setting up reception facilities in transit or first asylum camps and supplying material and medical aid, or by carrying out tracing activities and organizing family reunifications, not forgetting the support lent to those engaged in the often interminable and humiliating procedure of applying for asylum.

Type
International Committee of the Red Cross
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 31 , Issue 280 , February 1991 , pp. 9 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1991

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References

1 See International Review of the Red Cross, “Refugees and conflict situations”, No. 265, 07–08 1988, pages 321–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), of 8 June 1977. Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), of 8 June 1977.

3 Additional Protocol I, Article 51, paragraph 2.

4 Ibid., Article 51, paragraphs 4, 5 and 7.

5 Ibid. Article 54, paragraph 2.

6 Fourth Geneva Convention, Part II; Additional Protocol I, Articles 59 and 60.

7 Fourth Convention, Article 45, paragraph 4.

8 Ibid. Article 49.

9 Ibid. Article 70, paragraph 2.

10 See ICRC Annual Reports.

11 Examples include the draft UNDRO Convention on appropriate measures to speed up emergency relief of 18 June 1984 (UN General Assembly Reference A/39/269/Add. 2) or the “Kouchner” Resolution (named after its sponsor) of 1988. Special mention should be made, however, of the resolution on “The protection of human rights and the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of the State” (adopted by the Institute of International Law on 13 September 1989 and circulated by the Secretary-General under reference E/CN.41 1990/NGO/55, in a document dated 12 February 1990. This resolution strikes a satisfactory balance between the protection of human rights and the sovereignty of States; it recalls that the obligation to respect human rights is applicable erga omnes, confirms the conditions under which a State can intervene to restore respect for human rights in a third State and extends the right of humanitarian initiative, in the case of offers of services which concern medical and food aid, to situations not covered by international humanitarian law (internal disturbances and tension).

12 Resolution XXI adopted by the 24th International Conference of the Red Cross (Manila, 1981); Resolution XVII adopted by the 25th International Conference of the Red Cross (Geneva, 1986).

13 See Red Cross action in aid of refugees, document prepared by the ICRC and the League for the Council of Delegates (meeting of October 1983, Geneva, CD/8/1, pages 2 and 3.

14 Memorandum on Unco-ordinated Moves of Camp Dwellers to Cambodia, 14 11 1990 Google Scholar. Excerpt from an official document handed over by the ICRC to the States and UN agencies involved in the Cambodian question.

15 Additional Protocol I, Article 54; Additional Protocol II, Article 14.