The International Review of the Red Cross published in August 1957 a study concerning reservations to the 1949 Geneva Conventions for the protection of war victims. At that time a total of 66 States were bound by the Conventions and 18 of them had expressed their accession subject to reservations. In July 1965, the Review published an additional study on the same subject. At that date, the number of States bound by the Conventions had increased to a total of 106; of these, 20 had expressed reservations.

The third session of the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts was held from 21 April to 11 June 1976, at the International Conference Centre, Geneva. It was presided over by Mr. Pierre Graber, Federal Councillor and head of the Federal Political Department.

We are very pleased to publish this report by Mrs. Diallo on research into the correlations between the principles of international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles underlying African traditions. In earlier issues of International Review, various authors have drawn attention to the fact that historically, in Islamic countries, in India and elsewhere in the Far East, in a variety of ethical doctrines and in many different types of civilization, thoughts have been expressed which compare with those of the Red Cross—leading to the conclusion that they arise from aspirations common to most of mankind. It is particularly appropriate therefore to disclose certain concordances between them and to discover, in all these different places, a unity of view and of teaching in ethical and social affairs.

Mrs Diallo went recently to Africa at the request of the ICRC for which she drew up a report, which it gives us pleasure to publish, in view of the interest of the Red Cross in demonstrating that the profound idea which inspired it, the idea of respect for human dignity and of unselfish help for those who suffer, is an inseparable part of man's heritage.

At the twentieth meeting of jurists of the German Red Cross in the Federal Republic of Germany, held in Münster last September, the President of the Swiss Red Cross, Professor Hans Haug, spoke on the International Red Cross. Extensive extracts from his paper are given below, as we feel that the problems discussed are of lively and topical interest for all sections of the Red Cross movement.

On signature, Portugal entered a reservation concerning this article and Article 13 of Convention I but did not maintain it on ratification. It reads as follows:

The Portuguese Government makes a reservation regarding the application of the above Articles in all cases in which the legitimate Government has already asked for and agreed to an armistice or the suspension of military operations of no matter what character, even if the armed forces in the field have not yet capitulated.

The following article is a tribute to an outstanding jurist whose name is inalienably linked to the foundation and development of the Red Cross. In fact, Gustave Moynier was President of the ICRC from 1864 to 1910! We express our thanks to the Institute of International Law for allowing us to reproduce this article. (Ed.)

A period of rapid change entails the continual reassessment of problems and values. Some years ago, therefore, it was felt necessary to analyse questions pertaining to the place of the Red Cross in the world today and its role in the future. In 1972, the ICRC and the League, in co-operation with the National Societies, decided to look ahead by studying the situation of the Red Cross from all angles. A joint committee was created for reappraisal of the role of the Red Cross; then, in 1973, the director of what came to be known as the “Big Study”, Mr. Donald D. Tansley, aided by a number of research workers, and with the support of the relevant departments of the ICRC, the League and the National Societies, began his investigations.

The Henry Dunant Institute is currently publishing a book in French only under the title Guérilla et droit humanitaire in its “Collection scientifique.” The author is Mr. Michel Veuthey, an ICRC collaborator, who, since 1967, has taken part in the work of reaffirmation and development of humanitarian law. Mr. J. Pictet, Vice-President of the ICRC, associate professor at the University of Geneva and director of the Institut Henry Dunant, introduces the book with the following preface:

At last we have a complete work on guerrilla warfare, thus fulfilling a real need. Anyone who wishes to study the subject in detail should have a copy of this book.

The Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law applicable in Armed Conflicts was resumed at Geneva on 21 April 1976 under the chairmanship of Mr. Pierre Graber, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Political Department.

This, the third session, continues the work of the first and second sessions, which were held, also at Geneva, from 20 February to 29 March 1974 and from 3 February to 18 April 1975.

On 29 September 1976, during a ceremony held at the headquarters of ICRC, a commemorative tablet was unveiled in honour of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of a truly noble person, Eglantyne Jebb. A number of speeches were made during the ceremony, which was attended by officials and staff members of the International Union for Child Welfare and the ICRC, by representatives of the Swiss authorities, the city of Geneva and various international organizations. Several members of the family of Eglantyne Jebb were also present.

The thirty-third plenary meeting under the presidency of Mr. Pierre Graber, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Political Department, denoted the end of the third session of the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of Humanitarian Law in Geneva on 11 June 1976.

In May the ICRC delegate-general for Africa, Mr. F. Schmidt, accompanied by the regional delegate for Southern Africa, Mr. N. de Rougemont, and a medical delegate, Dr. A. Vischer, carried out a new series of visits to places of detention in Rhodesia.

On the invitation of the Government of Mauritania to attend ceremonies commemorating the 15th anniversary of the country's independence, ICRC President Dr. Eric Martin, accompanied by Mr. P. Gaillard, Adviser, was in Nouakchott from 25 November to 3 December. The Mauritanian Red Crescent invited the ICRC President to acquaint himself with the Society's activities in Nouakchott and the provinces.

In our previous issue, it was mentioned that the second session of the Conference of Government Experts, held under ICRC auspices at Lugano, ended on 26 February. At the final plenary meeting, Mr. J. Pictet, Chairman of the Conference, and ICRC Vice-President, closed the session with the following words:

Our work has drawn to a close. Although this Conference has made considerable progress on what was achieved in Lucerne, it is perfectly obvious that the last word on the matter has not yet been said.

The presence of the Red Cross is felt under the most varied circumstances—where its help is needed, where human beings are suffering and need assistance. The disparity between the dimensions of the humanitarian tasks which must be carried out in today's world and the modest means available for these tasks should not discourage us—for in wartime and peacetime, under the banners of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Lion and Sun, the members of National Societies, along with various international organizations, are taking action in an ever-increasing variety of fields. Originally present only on the battlefields, they are now to be found doing many new things—protecting the environment, helping aged people, etc.

The report on the re-appraisal of the role of the Red Cross has brought to light a fact which hitherto had been given no attention, namely that the objectives of the Red Cross movement as a whole have never been denned in writing. This omission is easily explained.

The second session of the Conference of Government Experts on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which opened at Lugano under the auspices of the ICRC on 28 January 1976, ended on 26 February. After four weeks of discussions, a report containing a number of proposals on the prohibition or restriction of use of certain weapons was adopted by the experts of forty-three countries.

Throughout July and the first few days of August the ICRC was greatly concerned about the wounded in the Palestinian camp, Tel al-Zaatar. It tried repeatedly to obtain from all parties to the fighting their agreement to the removal of the casualties from the camp, which had been under siege since the end of June.

The second session of the Conference of Government Experts on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons opened in Lugano's Congress Centre on 28 January 1976. The first session took place in Lucerne in 1974, when substantial useful work was accomplished. Because of the complexity of the problems arising from some of the suggestions and proposals put forward, and the acknowledged need to examine in depth all the data at present available and to pursue discussions which should lead eventually to wide agreement on possible prohibition or restriction of use, the experts considered that it would be advisable for the ICRC to convoke a second session of the Conference of Government Experts.