The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance.

Committed to meeting new challenges through action

The ICRC is sometimes referred to as a "non-governmental organization", or NGO. In fact, it's not – but neither is it an international or intergovernmental organization. So, what is its status?

The work of the ICRC is based on the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, their two Additional Protocols of 1977 and Additional Protocol III of 2005, the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

How the ICRC is constituted, what tasks are assigned to it and what principles guide its work – these are some of the questions which the author, François Bugnion, seeks to answer, examining the tasks and role of the ICRC both from a historical and from a legal point of view.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, as a unique and respected humanitarian actor, has changed considerably since the 1970s. It has carved out an enduring place for neutral humanitarianism in conflicts, but one that is not free from controversies and challenges.

The fact that international criminal tribunals have become operational has undoubtedly changed the face of the global humanitarian environment. Humanitarian organizations face a very difficult dilemma: on the one hand they cannot ignore the important role of international criminal prosecution, while on the other they are reluctant to put their operations in the field at risk by being seen to co-operate in judicial proceedings. Furthermore, a categorical refusal to co-operate could lead to their being compelled to testify.

Full text of the headquarters agreement, signed 19 March 1993, between the ICRC and the government of Switzerland.

A jurist discusses the legal implications of the ICRC’s status as observer at the United Nations, granted in October 1990.

Full text of the UN General Assembly resolution of 16 October 1990, granting the ICRC observer status at the world body.

The ICRC's role as a neutral intermediary has enabled it to help countless people suffering because of armed conflict and internal violence. Pierre Kraehenbuehl, the ICRC's director of operations, explains what this means in practice.

Confidentiality is an essential tool, which enables the ICRC to reach out to people affected by insecurity, violence and armed conflict. It allows the ICRC to build trust, communicate and influence change. But what happens if confidentiality is broken? An interview with the ICRC's deputy director of operations, Dominik Stillhart.

ICRC legal adviser Gabor Rona examines the unique nature of the ICRC’s international legal status, the three specific sources in international law for the ICRC’s testimonial protection, and discusses the reasons behind the ICRC’s policy on testimony as well as related issues.

ICRC president Jakob Kellenberger talks about walking the knife-edge between silence and communication. Between pressure from the US Senate and the advantages for the ICRC of Swiss leadership.

The ICRC acts as the guardian of international humanitarian law, a complex role that is closely connected with its own foundation and was later formally entrusted to it by the international community. The article presents various aspects of this role and examines its scope in the contemporary context.

Extract from an article published in the International Review of the Red Cross, May-June 1993, No 294

Extract from an article published in the International Review of the Red Cross, May-June 1993, No 294