A permanent mandate founded in international law, a worldwide mission to help victims of conflicts and internal violence, whoever they are. The ICRC’s mandate in the Geneva Conventions and in its Statutes; articles on the mission, status and objectives of the ICRC.
The ICRC has a legal mandate from the international community. That mandate has two sources:
the Geneva Conventions, which task the ICRC with visiting prisoners, organizing relief operations, re-uniting separated families and similar humanitarian activities during armed conflicts;
the ICRC's Statutes, which encourage it to undertake similar work in situations of internal violence, where the Geneva Conventions do not apply.
The Geneva Conventions are binding instruments of international law, applicable worldwide. The ICRC Statutes are adopted at the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which takes place every four years, and at which States that are party to the Geneva Conventions take part, thereby conferring a quasi-legal or “soft law” status on the Statutes.
Key document
The ICRC's Mission Statement 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 war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. (About the ICRC\Mandate)
7-1-2005
The ICRC's status: in a class of its own 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? Gabor Rona(About the ICRC\Mandate)
Legal bases : extract from ICRC Annual Report 2005 The work of the ICRC is based on the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977, 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. (About the ICRC\Mandate)
1-6-2006 Annual Report
ICRC publication
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the protection of war victims 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. François Bugnion(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
30-11-2003 ICRC publication
The International Committee of the Red Cross as guardian of international humanitarian law 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. Yves Sandoz(Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\About the ICRC)
The ICRC is granted observer status at the United Nations Full text of the UN General Assembly resolution of 16 October 1990, granting the ICRC observer status at the world body. (Info resources\International Review\1994 and before)
31-12-1990 International Review of the Red Cross
Legal article
The ICRC privilege not to testify: confidentiality in action 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. Gabor Rona(About the ICRC\Mandate)
28-2-2004 Legal article
Press article
"Being hard on yourself" 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. (About the ICRC\Mandate)
Key document
