Mr. Carl J. Burckhardt, member of the ICRC, has recently asked to be relieved of his duties. This resignation was announced by Mr. S. A. Gonard, the President, at a plenary session of the International Committee of the Red Cross, on January 6, 1965. A ceremony took place on that occasion at which were present many members of the ICRC, directors and heads of Services, as well as some who had worked especially closely with Mr. Burckhardt.

On April 28, 1965, the International Committee of the Red Cross received at its headquarters a group of some fifty Swiss Army officers headed by Brigadier Jean Schindler ; they came to take part in an introductory course on the Geneva Conventions, organized with the assistance of the ICRC.

Since the beginning of its medical programme on behalf of the victims of the civil war raging in the Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross has treated some 14,500 persons. Of these 9100 wounded and sick made their way by their own resources to the field hospital at Uqhd in Royalist territory in Northeast Yemen; a further 900 were admitted to the hospital; 4500 were examined and treated by the mobile medical teams in the fighting areas. We would add that 786 surgical operations have been performed at Uqhd in the complete and air-conditioned “clinobox” operating unit sent as part of the hospital equipment by the ICRC.

General James F. Collins, recently elected President of the American Red Cross, arrived in Geneva on February 13, 1965, to visit the International Red Cross institutions.

The general delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross for Asia, Mr. André Durand, arrived in Saigon on February 13, 1965.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has intervened whenever possible in order to come to the aid of the victims of the war in Viet Nam. Information on this subject has been given in recent issues of the International Review.

At its plenary session on April 1, 1965, the International Committee elected Mr. Adolphe Graedel as a new member.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies welcomed at the headquarters of the ICRC Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Hitachi during their visit to Switzerland.

Mr. Samuel A. Gonard, President of the ICRC, greeted them in the name of both institutions.

The American Red Cross has transmitted to the International Committee several further requests for inquiries concerning Americans posted missing in South Viet Nam.

As the International Review mentioned in its previous number, the International Committee of the Red Cross addressed an appeal to the Governments of the Republic of Viet Nam, of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and of the United States of America. This appeal was also sent to the National Front of Liberation. The ICRC reminded these authorities that they are bound by the provisions of the Geneva Conventions giving protection to military personnel placed “hors de combat” and persons not taking part in hostilities.

It will be recalled that the International Committee of the Red Cross addressed to the Governments of the Republic of Viet Nam, of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, as well as of the United States of America an appeal urging them to respect, in present conditions, the humanitarian provisions of the Geneva Conventions to which these States have acceded. This appeal was also sent to the National Liberation Front. In its number of September 1965, the International Review published the replies received by the ICRC. The one dated August 10, 1965, emanated from the United States Government and the other of August 11, 1965, was sent by the Government of the Republic of Viet Nam.

The ICRC has just published a new series of slides on the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. The series consists of thirty pictures illustrating the main rules and prohibitions laid down in these Conventions to which practically every country in the world has adhered. The illustrations were taken from original paintings by an artist well known to the Geneva public, Edouard Elzingre.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has received from the Federal Political Department at Berne a communication informing it that the Government of Jamaica gave notification on July 17,1964, to the Swiss Federal Council of that State's accession to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, accession which took effect on August 6,1962, the date on which that country became independent.

Mr. Hans Bachmann will remain Vice-President of the International Committee in 1965, whilst Mr. Jacques Freymond has been appointed Vice-President for 1965 and 1966.

The International Review mentioned last month that, thanks to the joint initiative of Mr. Pierre Jequier, delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Dominican Red Cross, a truce was concluded in Santo Domingo, and was able to be prolonged, thus putting an end to the fighting which had caused so much loss in human lives and material. These efforts on the part of the Red Cross were supported by the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

The Geneva State Council has just appointed Mr. Jean Pictet to be in charge of courses in humanitarian law at the Faculty of Law. The International Committee of the Red Cross is doubly pleased by this appointment since, if Mr. Pictet is Director for General Affairs of the ICRC, he is also at the present time one of the jurists who have most knowledge of that part of the law of nations which, notably under the influence of the Red Cross movement, aims at protecting the victims of both international and civil war.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has studied the declaration of the President of the United States of America according to which he has expressed his intention of accepting on American soil Cuban nationals wishing to expatriate themselves. Since its name has been mentioned in this declaration, the ICRC wishes to point out the following : if an agreement is realized through diplomatic channels and if the Cuban Government and the Government of the United States desire the co-operation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the latter would be pleased to contribute, on the strictly humanitarian level which is its own, to the success of the action.

Anxious always to be in a position to assume and carry out effectively the humanitarian tasks incumbent on it as a neutral intermediary in time of war and internal disorder, the International Committee of the Red Cross decided to train staff and future delegates. We must not forget that circumstances sometimes arise when the ICRC is suddenly confronted with a considerably increased task which necessitates its supplementing its permanent personnel, sometimes from one day to the next. For this reason it organized at its Geneva headquarters a fortnight's course, the start of which on March 22 last was mentioned in a previous edition of the International Review.