The common terms “internal disturbances” and “internal tensions” cover a whole range of situations all characterized by acts of violence related to human rights violations and resulting in human suffering. These situations, now so common and widespread throughout the world, are typified by direct confrontations between police and opponents of a regime or by any of a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, ideological, economic or social tensions, which may likewise give rise to police action as a preventive measure.

In a sporadic way since 1919, then systematically from the late 1960s, the ICRC has endeavoured to carry out its humanitarian activities in situations of internal disturbances and tensions, in particular to give protection and assistance to persons imprisoned in such circumstances and commonly referred to as “political detainees”.

The ICRC's rules of conduct in such situations were presented at the Twenty-third International Conference of the Red Cross (Bucharest, 1977) as part of the document entitled “The ICRC, the League and the Report on the Re-appraisal of the Role of the Red Cross”.

From time to time, States are affected by outbreaks of internal violence. Such upheavals are usually referred to as internal disturbances or tensions, disorders, states of emergency, revolutions or insurrections. These expressions all refer to situations that appear contrary to justice, order, stability and internal peace. There have been many examples of the kind in the past, and we know from the media that they continue to occur. Almost every nation in the world has a history marked by periods of insecurity and protest accompanied by outbreaks of violence.

The tragedy of internal strife affects a large and growing number of countries throughout the world. The situations in many of these countries have been studied by UN bodies, governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations and, of course, by the International Committee of the Red Cross. On the basis of their reports, it would be possible to describe the symptoms of internal strife specific to these particular countries. However, this paper focuses on the general features characteristic of internal strife, without reference to particular countries, since accounts of the situation in any specific country inevitably prompt debate over conflicting factual allegations. Such debate would deflect us from our tasks of developing and understanding of the nature of internal strife and suggesting the necessary remedies.

At its last meeting in 1987, the Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross welcomed Mrs. Liselotte Kraus-Gurny as a new member of the Committee.

Mrs. Kraus-Gurny is from Zurich. She is a Doctor of Laws and worked in the legal division of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva from 1961 to 1972. She devoted the following years to her family, and to political activities at the municipal and cantonal levels in Geneva, where she was particularly active in the field of education and training.

ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga paid an official visit to Japan from 6 to 14 December 1987.

The President, accompanied by Mr. Hans Spiess, ICRC honorary delegate for Japan, Mr. Peter Küng, head of the regional delegation (Far East) and Mr. Cédric Neukomm, delegate responsible for dissemination and co-operation in Asia, first participated in a symposium on the theme “From small peace to large peace”, which was organized by the Japanese Red Cross Society in collaboration with the NHK television station and the newspaper Asahi Shimbun and sponsored by the Union Bank of Switzerland.

The Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, Mr. Franz Vranitzky, visited on 2 February 1988 the International Committee of the Red Cross, where he was received by Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the institution, and several members of the Committee.

In his speech of welcome, the President of the ICRC thanked the Federal Chancellor for the support that the Republic of Austria gives to the ICRC. He also recalled the fact that the large number of conflict situations in the world demands constant diplomatic support, in the interest of the victims, especially from neutral countries.

During the final months of 1987 the ICRC gradually managed to overcome the numerous logistic difficulties it had encountered; its aid programme, conducted together with the National Society, went as planned. Thus, by the end of 1987, ICRC delegates were working as normal in 51 areas throughout 41 districts in seven of the country's ten provinces. From the beginning of 1988 onwards their activities should increase in the province of Manica and in the Inhambane region.