The legal status of members of resistance movements cannot be discussed but in the light of previous court rulings, some of which are very instructive within the scope of the present study. They have been set out below.

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.

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.

Meeting in plenary session, the International Committee of the Red Cross elected the following new members: Mrs. Denise Bindschedler-Robert, Mr. Marcel Naville and Dr. Jacques F. de Rougemont.

The ICRC had submitted to the XXth International Conference of the Red Cross a report on the status of civil defence personnel. Following up Resolution XXIX adopted on that subject by the Conference, the ICRC convened a meeting in Geneva from October 31 to November 3, 1967, of an advisory group of experts on the position of civil defence bodies.

The International Committee has published its Annual Report for 1966. Events obliged it to undertake a considerable number of tasks in the five continents and these are described, showing how the Red Cross intervened in very diverse circumstances in one country after another. Actions of a general character were also pursued, in particular in the field of international humanitarian law. Mention should also be made of its permanent tasks such as those of publicising the Geneva Conventions.

The International Committee is aware of the value of this high distinction of which it is the recipient. It fully appreciates the honour it has been given, especially in view of the large number of serious contestants. To this it pays tribute to its predecessors and those who showed it the way to be followed, to Gustave Moynier, its President for forty years and to its actual President, Mr. G. Ador, whom it is entitled to name, since he is at present performing other duties and that it is due to his largeness of heart, his exceptional qualities and his personal and devoted labours that the International Prisoners of War Agency in Geneva was created, organized and developed.

As is known, the ICRC is continuing its activity in various countries of the Near East. It is concerning itself at the same time with prisoners of war, internees and refugees. It is also trying to resolve in a practical way certain problems which affect civilians more especially. Mention was made in the last issue of the International Review of the repatriations of Egyptian civilians which took place in October and for which one of the ICRC delegates assumed practical responsibility. On his return to Geneva he gave an account which we consider to be of interest.