The President of the ICRC, Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, visited Colombia and Peru from 30 May to 7 June 1989. A number of humanitarian issues were discussed with the Heads of State and the principal Ministers of both countries.

In Colombia, Mr. Sommaruga, accompagnied by the President of the Colombian Red Cross, was received by the President of the Republic and by the Minister for Foreign Affairs; he also met the Commander-in-Chief of the Colombian armed forces. During the meetings, Mr. Sommaruga thanked the Colombian Government for having authorized the ICRC to visit security detainees for the past 20 years in prisons under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. He also encouraged the Colombian authorities to ratify the Additional Protocols and stated that the ICRC and the Colombian Red Cross stood ready to expand programmes to improve knowledge of the basic rules of international humanitarian law, in particular among members of the armed forces and the police.