International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The mission of ICRC is to alleviate human suffering, uphold human dignity, protect life and health, especially during armed conflicts and other emergencies. ICRC is present in every country and is supported by millions of volunteers.

Latest context on International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) –

The Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gujarat, an institution of national importance in India and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Regional delegation in New Delhi on 10 December 2020 virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding on academics, research, training, capacity building and extension activities.

• The aim is to generate awareness, know-how and create a specialized human resource for security, strategy, capacity building and R&D expertise.
• To leverage ICRC and RRU work together for addressing major issues concerning security, defense and international humanitarian law.

In this article, we talk about the International Committee of the Red Cross, its origin and development, objectives and activities.

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International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Overview

With its mandate to protect the victims of International and Internal armed conflicts, ICRC has been three-time Nobel Prize Laureates.

ICRC is a part of the International Red Cross and Red Cresent Movement along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Society and 192 National Societies.

Overview of the International Committee of the Red Cross are as follows:

Origin and Development of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

1. The International Committee of the Red Cross came into being in 1864 by the work of Jean-Henri Dunant, a Swiss humanitarian, who organised emergency aid for the wounded soldiers of Austria and France in the Battle of Solferino in 1859.
2. In his book UN Souvenir de Solferino (1862; “A Memory of Solferino”), Dunant proposed voluntary relief societies in all countries.
3. The Geneva Convention of 1864 committed the signatory governments to care for the wounded of war, whether enemy or friend. This Convention was revised and new conventions to protect victims of warfare at sea (1907), prisoners of war (1929), and civilians in times of war (1949) were adopted.
4. The Red Cross is the name used in the countries under Christian sponsorship while Red Crescent is used in the Muslim countries.
5. The ICRC is a private institution acting as a neutral and independent intermediary in humanitarian matters during international conflicts and other international disturbances. Its work is prompted by the desire to promote humane conduct and is guided by empathy for the victims. The ICRC remains detached from all political issues related to the conflict.

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Objectives of ICRC

1. The ICRC acts to help all victims of war and internal violence, attempting to ensure implementation of humanitarian rules restricting armed violence.
2. Its mission arises from the basic human desire to lay down a rule governing the use of force in war and to safeguard the dignity of the weak.
3. With a mandate from the international community to help victims of war and internal violence and to promote compliance with International humanitarian law, the ICRC strives for protecting and assisting the victims of armed conflict and internal violence so as to preserve their physical integrity and their dignity and to enable them to regain their autonomy as quickly as possible.

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Structure of ICRC

1. The Red Cross consists of the International Committee, the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
2. The International Committee is an independent council of 25 Swiss citizens.
3. During a war, the Committee acts as an intermediary among belligerents and also among National Red Cross Societies.
4. It visits prisoners in war camps and provides relief supplies, mail and information for their relatives.
5. The League of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies help in providing relief to victims of national disaster and aid in the development of national societies.

Activities of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

1. Being a humanitarian agency, the Red Cross has national affiliates in almost every country in the world.
2. It was established primarily to care for the victims of war but now the organisation is also involved in the task of aiding in the prevention and relief of human suffering which includes first aid, accident prevention, water safety, training of nurses’ aids and mothers’ assistants and maintenance of maternal and child welfare centres and medical clinics, blood banks and many other services.
3. The ICRC acts in consultation with all other organizations involved in humanitarian work.
4. It systematically reminds all military and civilian authorities directly involved in armed conflict or internal violence of their obligations under international humanitarian law and the other humanitarian rules by which they are bound.
5. The Committee acts as an intermediary between the parties to armed conflict and promotes dialogue in situations of internal violence, with a view to finding solutions for matters of humanitarian concern.

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