The Twenty-third International Conference of the Red Cross took place in Bucharest, from 15 to 21 October 1977, and was attended by some 700 delegates, representing 104 National Red Cross Societies, the ICRC, the League and 83 governments. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations had also been invited to send observers. The Conference was chaired by Major General Constantin Burada, President of the Romanian Red Cross.

From 29 September to 2 October, Mr. Alexandre Hay, President of the ICRC, went to Athens at the invitation of the Hellenic Red Cross, to attend its centenary celebrations. Mr. Hay was accompanied by Mr. M. Borsinger, ICRC delegate general for Europe.

The President of the Bahamas Red Cross, Mrs. R. B. Eldon, and Mrs. L. V. Tynes, the National Society's Director General, were in Geneva from 4 to 6 October on a visit to the ICRC and the League of Red Cross Societies.

The Central Tracing Agency had the pleasure of receiving a visit by Mrs. Sztomberek, head of the Polish Red Cross Tracing Service, who was in Geneva during the first week of October. The purpose of Mrs. Sztomberek's visit was to carry out with the Central Tracing Agency a detailed investigation of the various technical problems connected with the many thousand captivity certificates provided to former Polish prisoners of war. The Polish Red Cross and the Central Tracing Agency are working together closely in this extensive enterprise.

On 2 November, the new President of the League of Red Cross Societies, Mr. J.A. Adefarasin, was received by the ICRC Assembly at its headquarters in Geneva. He was welcomed by Mr. Alexander Hay, President of the ICRC, who extended the good wishes and congratulations of the ICRC on the important new office to which he was recently elected in Bucharest by the International Conference of the Red Cross.

Mr. Gottfried de Smit, a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has resigned. The ICRC accepted his resignation with regret and expressed its gratitude to Mr. de Smit for his services to the institution. Mr. de Smit became a member of the Executive Council in 1973 and a member of the Assembly at the beginning of 1974.

Application of humanitarian law. — The President of the African National Council (ANC), Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole, informed the ICRC, in September 1977, that his movement would observe the Geneva Conventions and Protocols. This is the second affirmative reply to the appeal made on 14 January 1977 by the ICRC President asking the Parties to the conflict in Southern Africa to respect the humanitarian principles.

In the list of the States Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, published in the July 1977 issue of the International Review of the Red Cross (No. 196), please read:

66 Democratic People's Republic of Korea …

instead of Republic of Korea.

We apologize for this printing mistake, which appears in the English edition only of the Review. The French, Spanish and German texts are correct.