The text of a speech delivered by the director-general of the ICRC, Mr Angelo Gnaedinger, at the conference Humanitarian Aid in the Spotlight: upcoming challenges for European actors held in Lisbon on 12 October 2007.

The Code of Conduct, a set of guiding principles for organizations involved in humanitarian activities, was written in 1994. In the following article, the ICRC's Bruce Biber, Deputy Head of Division, Policy and Cooperation within the Movement, argues that the Code of Conduct remains as relevant today as it was ten years ago.

Extract of keynote address by Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross given at the XXVIIIth Round Table on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law, San Remo, 2 September 2004

At a meeting in Geneva (31.03.04) ICRC operations director Pierre Krähenbühl outlined the organization's view of current threats to humanitarian work in conflict zones and re-affirmed its commitment to the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.

Mogadishu, Grozny, Kabul and Baghdad have all been affected by the violence of an armed conflict at one time or another. For humanitarian organizations, which often work more in rural areas, these places present particular challenges. Are other towns in countries which are at peace but experiencing uncontrolled growth the breeding ground of new forms of violence between armed groups which will be of concern not only to development agencies but also to humanitarian organizations?

How do humanitarian workers in a country emerging from war, and doctors practising medicine in Geneva, experience the transition from an acute to a chronic problem – from saving lives to supporting patients suffering from a long-term illness? This was the subject debated by doctors, patients and ICRC managers in Zinal, Switzerland, in March 2008. The author of this text is a political adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross, responsible for the analysis of future trends. The text reflects the author's opinions only and does not necessarily correspond to the views of the ICRC.

The third in the ICRC's FORUM series of publications offers a wide-ranging look at the issue of accountability and its relevance for those involved in bringing humanitarian assistance to people in need, in times of war or violence.

This volume of original essays by influential figures in international policy-making, practitioners and academics offers insights into the conflicting moral pressures brought to bear in various types of humanitarian operations. The authors address issues relating to human rights, development, economic sanctions, the arms trade, refugees, HIV and the media. Together they make the case that, although there are no easy answers, paying due regard to moral considerations can improve the quality of decision-making and intervention in internal conflicts.

This code seeks to safeguard high standards of behaviour and maintain independence and effectiveness in disaster relief. In the event of armed conflict, its clauses are to be interpreted and applied in conformity with international humanitarian law. It is a voluntary code, enforced by the will of organizations accepting it to maintain the standards it lays down. Sponsored by: Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Save the Children Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, Oxfam and the World Council of Churches (members of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response), together with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Faith-based organizations share many characteristics with their secular counterparts and this article identifies some of these similarities as well as some of the differences. It also highlights some of the differences within the faith-based community, particularly between Christian organizations involved in humanitarian assistance.

This article will examine a number of the different perceptions held by Muslims — and in particular by Islamists — with whom ICRC delegates come into contact. Many of the patterns of thought and reaction described below are found, with variations,in non-Muslim religious communities.

The ICRC's position regarding public statements is often controversial and has sometimes given rise to fierce debate. In this article, the President of the ICRC points out the ICRC's absolute commitment to remaining in close proximity to the victims of armed conflict and to uphold every possibility for constructive dialogue with governmental authorities. Only under exceptional circumstances, when all other efforts have failed, does the ICRC consider going public and only if it considers this step to be in the interest of the people concerned. The author emphasizes the need for consistency and predictability in the ICRC's public statements and argues, that the very purpose of discretion is to achieve the largest possible access to victims on a world-wide basis.

This article provides an introduction to the phenomenon of globalization and its implications for humanitarian action. The process of globalization entails risks as well as chances and although it is difficult to measure with any degree of precision it is a factor in many contemporary conflicts. Humanitarian action has a fundamental international dimension and is thus affected by globalization in that it has an impact on the way that risks and potential dangers are managed.

The post Cold War period has witnessed an increasing "militarization" of humanitarian action. Today armed forces are deployed on peace-keeping missions and mandated to carry out humanitarian operations. The distinction between humanitarian, political and military action is thus increasingly blurred. The article sets out to analyse the ICRC's views on this civil-military relationship in contemporary humanitarian environment.

The article deals with the numerous moral dilemmas humanitarian organizations are faced with when they - often unwillingly - become part of political and military strategies to reduce conflict and to build peace, notably in the aftermath of military interventions that have been justified on humanitarian grounds.

The author analyses the nature and limits of the right to humanitarian assistance during national and international armed conflict. She views humanitarian assistance as a right directly derived from the right to life and draws attention to recent practice of the Security Council which has explicitly acknowledged serious and systematic infringements of this rights and linked it with threats to international peace. The article concludes by proposing a number of possible solutions for such infringements and shows how humanitarian aid that conforms to the relevant international principles is protected by international law.

The author reflects on contemporary security challenges and how they have changed the environment in which humanitarian work is carried out. Deliberate targeting is but one example of how humanitarian operations are challenged today. On the basis of this analysis the author provides an insight into the ICRC assessment of these developments and provides an outlook for the parameters for neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian action in the future.

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.

On 29 August 2007 the last seven Korean hostages still held by the armed opposition in Afghanistan were released. Olivier Jenard, the ICRC’s deputy head of operations for Central Asia and the Sub-Continent, comments on the organization’s role as a neutral intermediary in the release of the 21 hostages.

In a country which has been ravaged by conflict for more than 15 years and which has witnessed particularly violent confrontations in recent months, there still seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Pascal Hundt, the head of the ICRC delegation for Somalia, reaffirms that neutral and independent humanitarian action must continue in parallel with any political process to resolve the crisis.

United Nations, General Assembly, 63rd session, Plenary meeting, item 65a of the agenda, statement by Ms Christine Beerli, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, New York, 11 Novembre 2008

Address by Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, at the 7th Shangri-La Dialogue, IISS* Asian Security summit, 1 June 2008, Singapore.

United Nations, General Assembly, 62nd session, Plenary, item 71 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 19 Novembre 2007

Address by Angelo Gnaedinger, ICRC Director-General, Humanitarian and Resident Coordinators' Retreat, Geneva, 9 May 2007

Keynote Address by Mr. Angelo Gnaedinger, Director General, International Committee of the Red Cross, ICVA Conference, Geneva, February 1, 2006

Statement by Mr. Jacques Forster, Vice-President of the ICRC, United Nations Security Council, 5319th meeting, New York, 9 December 2005

Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 16-18 November 2005, by Pierre Krähenbühl, ICRC Director of Operations.

International Conference: "Application of International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Refugee Law: UN Security Council, Peacekeeping Forces, Protection of Human Beings in Disaster Situations", Statement by Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, ICRC President, San Remo - 8 September 2005

A speech delivered in Oslo by the ICRC's Vice-President, Jacques Forster, at an event hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It gives an ICRC perspective on integrated missions to help countries in transition from war to peace.Conference on Integrated Missions, Oslo, 30-31 May 2005

Address by Dr Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Brussels, 13 April 2005

In a speech to a humanitarian forum in Switzerland, the ICRC's Director-General outlines the basic tenets of the organization's activities in a complex, and increasingly dangerous, working environment.

The ICRC's mandate to provide protection and assistance to people caught up in conflict remains as essential as ever, while its ability to do so depends on a deep and wide-reaching acceptance of its neutrality and independence.

Article published in the Humanitarian Exchange No 32

The following article was first published in the Financial Times on June 18 2005 and is published here with the newspaper's kind permission.

The Movement and other humanitarian organizations mourn colleagues killed in suicide attacks or murdered, most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. In certain contexts, the increasing threat has rendered the humanitarian mission almost impossible. How serious are these dangers and what can the Movement do to continue to act in close proximity to the victims? - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2004

The International Committee of the Red Cross has devoted its 140 years of existence to a remarkable humanitarian mission: attempting to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and violence, regardless of race, creed or political persuasion. The symbol of the red cross (and its red crescent counterpart in the Muslim world) represents a brand that is probably more instantly recognisable around the globe than any other. Extract from the newspaper Financial Times, 29 January 2004.

Five arguments frequently advanced against neutrality are discussed in this article by Marion Harroff-Tavel, the ICRC's Deputy Director for International Law and Cooperation within the Movement, originally published in the December 2003 edition of "Humanitarian Exchange" (UK).

Article published in the Humanitarian Exchange, Number 25

The ICRC's policy of not publicly reporting on visits made to persons deprived of liberty during the course of international armed conflict and internal strife has been the subject of much debate recently but ICRC spokesperson, Antonella Notari, argues that the approach is well-founded.