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12 - Interpreting the Mandate

Part II – Urban Violence and Migration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2024

David P. Forsythe
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
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Summary

Continuing the discussion about how the contemporary ICRC interprets its core mandate, or how it exercises its right of initiative, this chapter starts with the subject of low-level urban violence. The author understands how the organization gets drawn into situations such as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Port au Prince, Haiti, but is doubtful the organization can have much impact in very large and dysfunctional urban centers such as Karachi or Lagos. Major humanitarian needs certainly exist in violent urban areas, but whether the ICRC is the right agency for addressing them merits review. Likewise, on dealing with irregular migrants, the author understands the focus on detention issues but doubts some of the other existing activities should be systematically or consistently addressed by the ICRC. There are many other actors active on irregular migration. The ICRC does indeed run the risk of losing its special niche and becoming a very broad, all purpose, do-gooder agency, as some critics fear. A dilemma is how to be a good team player within the RC Movement but not fall victim to mission creep.

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The Contemporary International Committee of the Red Cross
Challenges, Changes, Controversies
, pp. 250 - 265
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Interpreting the Mandate
  • David P. Forsythe, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: The Contemporary International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009387002.013
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  • Interpreting the Mandate
  • David P. Forsythe, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: The Contemporary International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009387002.013
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Interpreting the Mandate
  • David P. Forsythe, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: The Contemporary International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009387002.013
Available formats
×