Medical assistance to wounded and sick in time of war has become inconceivable without the protection of humanitarian law.

It is to the great credit of the Red Cross founders and the members of the 1864 Diplomatic Conference that they immediately recognised the need not only to ensure care for the wounded but also to protect them by humanitarian law. This was codified in the Geneva Convention of August 22nd, 1864, for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded in the armed forces in the field.

By July 31, 1957, sixty-six States were bound to the Geneva Conventions, either by ratification or accession. From that date to May 31, 1965, a further 40 States acceded to these Conventions, bringing the total to 106. Several of the newly independent States confirmed their participation by delivering to the Custodian Government—the Swiss Federal Council—a declaration of continuity, that is to say, a document in which they confirmed that from the date of their independence they were committed by the ratification signed by the Powers to which they had succeeded.

In its early years the International Union for Child Welfare co-operated closely with the ICRC. Moreover, the Honorary President of the IUCW, Mrs. A. Morier, has, in a previous issue of our Review, recalled the support which Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of the Save the Children International Union, received from the ICRC in 1920.

Since then, the Union has extended internationally and today its membership is drawn from many countries. In September 1964 its General Council met in Athens and the theme discussed was: “Investment in Child Welfare—an essential factor in economic and social planning”. On that occasion, Dr. Georges Sicault presented a paper in which he recalled how the “United Nations Children's Fund” (UNICEF) was born, what its activities were and to what extent one can today actively assist the international movement in favour of child welfare. It gives us much pleasure to publish this interesting paper. (Ed.)

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.

In 1957, at the time of the XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross (New Delhi), 69 States were parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949, which they had ratified or to which they had acceded. On December 31st 1964, 100 States were formally bound by these Conventions, 87 following ratification or accession and 13 by a formal declaration of continuity (in respect of ratification by the sovereign Power of their territory prior to independence). Other recently independent States can be considered as bound for the same reason, even if they have not addressed a declaration of continuity to the Swiss Federal Council, which is responsible for the Conventions. It is none the less desirable that they should make this declaration or, if they prefer, deposit new instruments of accession in due form.

At the time of its creation in 1863, the Red Cross had as its first objective the protection of the wounded and sick, and the work of ensuring that these victims of armed conflict were given the medical attention they required. To carry out this project National Societies were formed and States signed the Geneva Convention of August 22, 1864.

This report deals with Red Cross participation in civil defence, i.e. in practical measures taken by government or private organizations on a national level for the protection of civilian populations and property from the effects of armed conflicts and natural disaster and for the provision of help to victims of events of that kind.

Amongst the articles common to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 can be found the following provisions, the whole of the first part of which is identical in all four treaties:

Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field (art. 47)

and

Geneva Convention for the amelioration of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea (art. 48)

“The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as in time of war, to disseminate the text of the present Convention as widely as possible in their respective countries, and, in particular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of military and, if possible, civjl instruction, so that the principles thereof may become known to the entire population, in particular to the armed fighting forces, the medical personnel and the chaplains.”

The termination of captivity for reasons of health is one of the rights of prisoners of war stipulated by the Geneva Conventions.

Article 109 of the Third Convention lays down that Parties to the conflict are bound to send back to their own country, regardless of number or rank, seriously wounded and seriously sick prisoners of war.

The same article stipulates that the belligerent Parties shall endeavour to make arrangements for the “accommodation in neutral countries”, as a subsidiary solution, of all cases where captivity should be terminated for humanitarian reasons, but where, for military motives, the States concerned are unable to agree to repatriation. We are here above all thinking of aged prisoners, of those who have undergone a long period of captivity or of those whose mental health has deteriorated.

The XXth International Red Cross Conference was held from the 2nd to the 9th October 1965 in the striking setting of the Hofburg at Vienna. Well organised by the Austrian Red Cross with the help of personnel from the international organisations of the Red Cross, the Conference was cordially welcomed by leaders of the Austrian Government. Mr. Hans von Lauda, President of the Austrian National Society, presided with both authority and tact. The Secretary General was Mr. Hans Sevcik. The Conference was attended by 580 representatives of 92 National Societies and 84 governments.

The Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, for the protection of war victims, postulate the principle of humane treatment for man, the victim of war. They afford protection in a specific field, that is to say, they affect only “protected” persons and only in the event of armed conflict of an international character, but not in conflicts which are not international. However, despite their limitations, the Conventions do afford protection in a very important field, in situations involving the greatest risk of suffering for mankind and in which lack of protection could have distressing consequences. It is for this reason that these Conventions are of such great importance. They form a fundamental component in that system of protection of man's basic rights which is gradually being developed through the medium of contemporary international law.

The ensuing article is based upon a lecture, the last of a series of three, delivered at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, in Geneva, in October and November of 1963. The author would like to take this opportunity to express his grateful thanks to Mr. Jacques Freymond the Director of the Institute, at whose invitation the lectures were delivered, and by whose kind permission the following article is published in this Review.

The three lectures were devoted to the general theme of Christianity and war. More specifically, they endeavoured to deal with the contribution rendered by Christian ideals and thinking to the rudimentary development of the Law of War at a time when theology, morals, and law were not severable. It is from this rich amalgam that Public International Law in general, and the Law of War in particular, emerged as an integral part of the Christian civilization of Western Europe. The subsequent movement whereby International Law reached out from Europe to become more truly universal is still in progress today.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in August 1964 and again in February 1965 made an offer of material aid to the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, which that Society declined, adding that it would appeal for it in the case of necessity.

The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross,

having received the report of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies on the action taken on the Resolutions of the XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross and of the Council of Delegates (Geneva, 1963),

accepts this report,

thanks the International Committee and the League for having submitted it.

In its Circular No. 456 of August 23, 1964, 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.

Two years ago the Red Cross celebrated its centenary. A hundred years of continuous growth, a movement which has won over the whole world and saved millions of lives. One should therefore stop for a moment, see what stage has been reached and show deserving gratitude to those who set it on its way. One should, however, also look to the future. This was the occasion to add a factor still missing in the Red Cross structure, namely a centre for study and research, for training and instruction in all branches of Red Cross activity.

The International Review already mentioned last month that the ICRC has decided to prolong its medical activity at the Uqhd Hospital, as well as through its mobile medical teams. This activity continues to be considerable and the brief information given below, covering a period of several weeks, gives sufficient proof of this:

During the first fortnight of April, as a result of the departure of pilgrims to Mecca the number of patients at the Uqhd hospital declined from 50 to 44. During the same period, the polyclinic treated 792 cases of which 215 were new.

The World Conference of Educators in Lausanne in 1963, one of the events arranged to commemorate the Red Cross Centenary, underlined the important role which the Junior Red Cross can—and should—play in the humanitarian education of young people. All participants recognized that the original idea and basic objectives of the Junior Red Cross were as valid as ever. On the other hand, it has become necessary to evolve new methods and techniques to achieve those objectives. The youths of today wish to be closely associated with efforts being made on a world scale, but they also desire to exercise a more direct control over their programmes of activity and they refuse to be harnessed to a hidebound inflexible system. Many are the international organizations which endeavour to win over youth to participate in their activities; it is up to the Junior Red Cross to earn its place and recognition. Educators themselves have before them the enormous and urgent task of developing amongst youth an ever greater and better spirit of voluntary service; the spirit which is also that of the Red Cross.

The Joint Commission entrusted with the distribution of the income of the Empress Sh6ken Fund met in Geneva on March 18, 1965. The Japanese Red Cross was represented by the Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Morio Aoki.

The report which has been entrusted to us as French co-rapporteur attempts to complete that which we submitted to the International Congress of the Neutrality of Medicine in Time of War, held in Paris on April 6 to 8, 1959.

Several weeks later, the Revue Internationale des Services de Santé published directives of action for the dissemination of the Geneva Conventions by Lieutenant-Colonel R. Belvaux of the Belgian Army, as a result of an international enquiry undertaken by the International Committee of Military Medicine and Pharmacy and to which 27 countries had replied.