I am glad to have the opportunity to address such a gathering of eminent personalities concerned with the increasingly grave humanitarian problems of our time.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has, for the last 120 years, served the cause of humanity in a world torn by conflicts.

In 1864, a year after the ICRC was founded, the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, the first multilateral humanitarian law treaty, established a legal basis for ICRC activities and brought about the recognition of the Red Cross movement by the States.

At a time when so many tragic events are taking place in so many parts of the world, I do not think that your Commission would be satisfied with a technical account on the nature and conditions of humanitarian assistance. It would seem pointless because it would be outside the context of tragic reality. Let us think of what is happening in Lebanon, the large-scale fighting that could start up again at any time on the Planalto in Angola, the fate of the Afghan and Khmer people—to cite only those few examples.

The four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims and the two 1977 Additional Protocols are the written sources of modern international humanitarian law. This monumental work of some 600 articles represents an impressive investment of intellect, arduous political negotiation, financial resources and goodwill. Modern written international humanitarian law is the result of one of the greatest efforts of successive legal codifications we know of. And, of course, customary law supplements the written rules to a substantial extent.

The “Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may Be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects” entered into force on 2 December 1983, six months after twenty States had deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. The three Protocols annexed to the Convention also entered into force on that date; Protocol I prohibits the use of weapons with non-detectable fragments, Protocol II prohibits or limits the use of mines, booby-traps and other devices, and Protocol III prohibits or limits the use of incendiary weapons.

At its last session of the year, on 7 and 8 December 1983, the Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross took leave of four of its members: Mr. Hans-Peter Tschudi and Mr. Jakob Burckhardt, who are retiring owing to their age, Mr. Marcel A. Naville, former president of the ICRC (1969–1973) and Mr. Thomas Fleiner, who did not wish their terms to be renewed.

Mrs. Marguerite Gautier-van Berchem died on 23 January 1984, to the deep sorrow of all those who had the privilege of knowing her.

The daughter of the well-known scientist Max van Berchem, Marguerite Gautier continued in her father's footsteps and became a scholar in the field of archeology. She was the author of a number of highly esteemed publications.

The People's Republic of the Congo deposited with the Swiss Government, on 10 November 1983, an instrument of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I) and non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

On 14 November 1983, the Syrian Arab Republic deposited with the Swiss Government an instrument of accession to the Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I).

The Republic of Bolivia deposited with the Swiss Government, on 8 December 1983, an instrument of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I) and non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica deposited with the Swiss Government, on 15 December 1983, an instrument of accession to the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I) and non-international armed conflicts (Protocol II), adopted in Geneva on 8 June 1977.

The ICRC is pleased to inform the National Societies that it has established a special fund for the benefit of the disabled as a result of armed conflicts.

From 30 November to 6 December, ICRC delegate-general for Africa Jean-Marc Bornet was on mission in Chad, where he had talks with the Ministers of the Interior and of Finance and also with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.