An extraordinary plenary meeting of the ICRC at the end of June 1973 approved new Statutes which, consistent with the conclusions reached by an expert, Professor Rudolf Probst, Berne, provide for the work of the ICRC to be shared between two bodies, each having distinct responsibilities and its own President.

In September 1951, a Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers that fought against Japan was signed in San Francisco. Article 16 of the Peace Treaty provided for a mandate given to the ICRC to undertake the distribution of funds to those former prisoners of war in Japanese hands who were nationals of the Powers parties to the Treaty, as compensation for the undue hardships those prisoners had suffered during captivity.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 6 June 1973, officially recognized the Mauritanian Red Crescent Society.

The new Society formally applied for recognition by the International Committee on 5 March 1973. Its request was supported by its Statutes, the Mauritanian Government Decree recognizing the Mauritanian Red Crescent as a National Society auxiliary to the public authorities, and a report on the Society's activities.

From 17 to 30 May 1973, a doctor and a delegate from the ICRC were in Angola. From 21 to 25 May, they visited the detention camp of Sao Nicolau, the military hospital, the Luanda prison and the Luso prison. They saw, in all, some 1,900 people detained for political reasons and they were able to talk with them in private.

Whilst in Switzerland for the International Labour Conference, H.E. Mr. Habib Bourguiba, President of the Republic of Tunisia, on 25 June 1973 visited the headquarters of the ICRC, in response to the invitation which the President of the ICRC sent him last February.

Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross welcomed the signing of the Paris Agreement of 27 January 1973 on ending the war in Vietnam, it cannot but state publicly its concern for the civilian detainees who are still kept in confinement.