We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross gave official recognition on September 14, 1967, to the Red Cross of Mali.

In September 1967, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), meeting in Kinshasa, adopted a certain number of resolutions. One of these called upon the mercenaries to leave the Congo and offered to effect this by peaceful methods, with the help of the appropriate international institutions. Following on this resolution, Mr. Mobutu, in his capacity as Chairman of the OAU Conference, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help him in this task. He also declared that he would like to make contact with a representative of the ICRC.

A number of instances will now be given to show the status accorded to persons taking part in fighting without being members of the regular forces.

We have the honour of enclosing the text of a memorandum dated May 19, 1967, addressed by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Governments of States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and to the IVth Convention of The Hague of 1907, concerning the laws and customs of war on land. This memorandum bears on the protection of civilian populations against the dangers of indiscriminate warfare and, in particular, on the implementation of Resolution XXVIII of the XXth International Conference of the Red Cross.

On January 26, 1967, the ICRC inaugurated a new recording studio at its headquarters in Geneva. Mr. G. Bordier, Vice-President of the institution, welcomed a number of guests of whom we would mention Mr. J. P. Meroz, Director of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation's French language network ; Mr. R. Aubert, Director of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation's Geneva studio; Mr. Beer, Secretary-General of the League: Mr. Abut and Mr. Dabney, Assistant-Secretaries General ; various members of the ICRC's directorate ; as well as Red Cross delegates in Geneva for the Conference of European National Society Information Service Officers.

Among the victims of the recent Near East conflict, the civilian population which fled from the territories occupied by the Israeli forces—the West bank of the Jordan and South Syria—still need considerable help.

As mentioned in the last number of the International Review, the ICRC has undertaken an action of importance in Nigeria where troubles had broken out. In July 1967, its delegate-general for Africa, Mr. Georg Hoffmann, on going to Lagos observed the urgent need of humanitarian aid for that country. On his indications the International Committee sent two medical teams to the spot to give assistance to the victims of the conflict. They were placed at the ICRC's disposal by the Swiss Red Cross, thanks in particular to a donation from the Swiss Government.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross on December 8, 1966, granted recognition to the Zambia Red Cross Society.

On his return to Switzerland, Dr. Edwin Spirgi, head of the medical team of the ICRC installed since the beginning of the conflict at the hospital at Achi, reported on the alarming situation prevailing in Biafra on the humanitarian level.

Geneva Conventions. — When in June 1965 the ICRC addressed an appeal to the belligerents on the subject of the Geneva Conventions for the protection of the victims of war, the Republic of Vietnam replied that it proposed applying these international treaties to which it is a Party (as is the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States of America). It has accordingly had disseminated amongst its armed forces a summary of conduct to be observed towards prisoners, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Similar instructions have been given to the American and Allied forces.

The delegates of the ICRC in South Vietnam continued their visits in February and March to prisoner of war camps in which the authorities of the Republic of Vietnam have interned combatants captured under arms. They also had access to several screening centres in American and South Korean hands.

The ICRC's humanitarian activity continued in September 1967 in widely varying fields, as can be seen from the following news report.

Repatriation of Jordanian Refugees.—By August 31, 14,008 Jordanians had been repatriated. Some 7,000 whose applications to return were accepted but who were unable to reach the western bank of the Jordan before expiry of the time-limit are the subject of ICRC discussions with both governments with a view to their crossing the river as soon as possible.

On May 1st, Mr. Germain Colladon, delegate of the International Committee, went to Athens to examine with the authorities and the Hellenic Red Cross various humanitarian problems arising from the recent events in Greece.

Soon after his arrival, he was received in audience by Mr. Kollias, President of the Council of Ministers, and was authorized to visit recently arrested persons and inspect detention conditions.

He came back to Geneva at the end of the month then returned to Greece to continue his mission.

Two brothers, Claudio and Antonio V., living in the USSR, wrote the Central Tracing Agency on February 26, 1967, asking it to trace their two sisters, Trinidad and Gloria V. who had been evacuated to France during the Spanish Civil War, when they themselves were taken to the U.S.S.R.

In February 1966, Mrs. Frieda N., resident in Djamboul, USSR, requested the Central Tracing Agency at ICRC headquarters in Geneva to undertake an investigation to trace her mother, Mrs. Lydia M., née P. and her two sisters Lydia W. M. and Rosa W. M. born in 1926 and 1928 respectively. Frieda N. had been without news of her relatives since the Second World War. They had lived in North Crimea and were deported, to German.

Liquid assets.—Total liquid assets declined from about Sfr. 12,750,000. at the end of 1965 to about Sfr. 11,155,000. by the end of 1966. The disposal of the securities concerned was necessary for working capital requirements and to meet part of the additional deficit on the year; it also made possible certain shortterm interest-bearing investments.

The International Review, in April 1965, brought to the notice of its readers the training course which the ICRC had organized for people prepared to offer their services, particularly for missions abroad. A second course took place from April 3 to 7, 1967, at the International, Committee headquarters. This was attended by some forty people, including several young girls.