In our opinion, the most important event at the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross was its adoption of the new Statutes and Rules of Procedure of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These new texts are the outcome of a suggestion by the League and almost four years of negotiation with the ICRC. They set out guidelines for the Movement for the span of at least a generation, and the fact that they have been adopted by consensus is a guarantee of their soundness and their durability.

The year 1977 may be considered a turning point for the dissemination of knowledge of international humanitarian law and the Principles and the ideals of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. If we briefly review events of that year, we see that from 21 to 30 March 1977 the first European Red Cross Seminar on the Dissemination of the Geneva Conventions, organized by the Polish Red Cross and the ICRC, was held in Warsaw. Representatives of European and North American National Societies and of the ICRC and the League attended the seminar which adopted the following principles:

«Although dissemination of knowledge of international humanitarian law is a responsibility of governments, it should be a direct concern of the Red Cross in general and particularly of each National Society in its own country.

Spreading knowledge of international humanitarian law at universities raises three questions which this text will attempt to answer. Firstly, why disseminate knowledge of international humanitarian law at universities? Secondly, towards which section of the university community should such an effort be directed? Thirdly, how should the subject be presented at law schools?

The States which have accepted international treaties on the law of war are bound “to respect and to ensure respect for these treaties in all circumstances”.

This general principle, stated in the 1949 Geneva Conventions, has to be put into practice. For that reason, the States “undertake, in time of peace as in time of war, to disseminate the text of the treaties as widely as possible and, in particular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of military and, if possible, civil intruction, so that the principles thereof may become known to the entire population, in particular to the armed forces”.

To speak of the Geneva Conventions and medical personnel in the field is truly to return to the very source of international humanitarian law, for the event which led to the birth of that body of law was the tragedy suffered at the battle of Solferino in 1859 by the wretched masses of wounded soldiers on both sides who received no care whatever.

In 1977 a number of resolutions were adopted by several international bodies on the importance of dissemination of knowledge of Red Cross Principles and International Humanitarian Law. Although there had been earlier resolutions on this subject, it was from that date that Red Cross and Red Crescent institutions began to approach dissemination in a more systematic manner.

On the occasion of the Eighteenth Conference of Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies, which was held in Doha (Qatar) from 2 to 5 March (see account on p. 224), Mr. Alexandre Hay, the ICRC President, and Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, the President elect, visited several Gulf countries from 21 February to 5 March. They were accompanied by Mr. Serge Nessi, Head of the Financing Division.

The ICRC learnt with deep sadness of the death of Mr. Michel Testuz, former editor of the Review, as a consequence of the heart attack which had forced him to be absent from the ICRC since autumn 1985.

In Resolution XVI (The role of the Central Tracing Agency and National Societies in tracing activities and the reuniting of families), the Twenty-fifth International Conference of the Red Cross (Geneva, October 1986)… “recalling the role which the Central Tracing Agency (CTA) of the ICRC plays as a co-ordinator and technical adviser to National Societies and governments, as defined in the report presented by the ICRC and the League and adopted by the Twenty-fourth International Conference of the Red Cross,”… and “recognizing that, in order to take effective action, the Movement must be able to rely on a sound network composed of all the National Societies' tracing services and the CTA, in liaison, when necessary, with the League Secretariat,”… encouraged the CTA “to continue its efforts to co-ordinate activities, to harmonize operating principles and working methods, and to train responsible tracing personnel,” and requested “all National Societies to carry out to the best of their capacity the role which they are called upon to play as components of the international network for tracing and reuniting families”.

We have the honour to inform you of the official recognition of the Grenada Red Cross Society by the International Committee of the Red Cross. This recognition, which took effect on 12 March 1987, brings to 145 the number of National Societies members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

In southern Sudan, relief supplies were distributed in January in the Narus region, where 10,200 persons received 145 tonnes of sorghum, 28 tonnes of beans and 18 tonnes of oil. Further distributions of foodstuffs were carried out in the first week of February (291 tonnes). On 18 February the recipients of the “seed and implements” project were once more registered systematically: 22,800 persons were registered in Narus and the three neighbouring camps. Distributions began at the end of February. The Narus feeding centre continued to admit children suffering from malnutrition: in January, 476 children were cared for at the centre. A surgical hospital, gift of the Finnish Red Cross, was set up at Lokichokio, in Kenya, to treat wounded persons arriving from southern Sudan. The despatch of food aid to Tigray and Eritrea was continued as in the past. In January, 1,230 tonnes were sent to Tigray and 730 tonnes to Eritrea.