INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF RED CROSS

International Community of Red Cross

International Community of Red Cross

Introduction

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), established in 1863, is a neutral organisation that works towards ensuring humanitarian protection. The ICRC (2005a), head-quartered in Geneva, Switzerland, operates in more than 80 countries and employs more than 12,000 staff. It is the world's oldest non-religious organisation dedicated to humanitarian relief and it has a unique place in international law. The ICRC acts as the custodian of the Geneva Conventions and promotes adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL); it is identified by the four 1949 Geneva Conventions as an impartial humanitarian body (Casey and Rivkin, 2005). The ICRC is mandated to assist victims of war and violence (Forsythe, 2005) and because of its mandate and legal status, it is distinct from intergovernmental agencies, such as United Nations organisations, and from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The agreements the ICRC establishes with the authorities of the countries in which its delegations and missions work, means the ICRC avails of immunities and privileges, which preserves its neutrality and freedom ICRC (2005a).

Q1) Analysis and Critique the Branding and Positioning For ICRC?

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, also known simply as the Movement, encompasses three independent bodies: the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the 186 National Societies. Each body has its own status and none have authority over the other (Quelch and Laidler-Kylander, 2003). Together, the bodies work to uphold seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. The principle of humanity forms the central purpose of the Movement's activities, which is “to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without discrimination, and to protect human dignity” (ICRC, 2005a, p. 9).

IFRC works with National Societies in responding to catastrophes and co-ordinating development programmes with respect to disaster preparedness, health care and the promotion of humanitarian values (IFRC, 2007). The National Societies form the core of the Movement, which encompass 97 million volunteers, who “provide a wide variety of services, ranging from disaster relief and assistance for the victims of war, to first aid training and restoring family links” (IFRC, 2007, p. 5). The volunteers support public authorities and their local knowledge enables the Movement to give assistance where it is required. Indeed, “National Society volunteers are often the first on the scene when a disaster strikes and remain active within affected communities long after everyone else has come and gone” (IFRC, 2007, p. 5). It is this network of community-based volunteers that gives the Movement a distinct advantage in addressing humanitarian challenges.

The ICRC manages the efforts of the National Societies and their International Federation and, in times of conflict, it is the lead agency to coordinate relief activities. In addition to humanitarian coordination and diplomacy, the ICRC assists dispersed families, individuals deprived of their freedom, as well as the wounded and sick of existing or emerging conflict (ICRC, 2007b). The ICRC's delegations and missions primarily employ nationals of the countries in ...