Soon after the First World War the ICRC proposed that the Geneva Convention be revised on the basis of experience of that conflict. It had the question included on the agenda of the Tenth and Eleventh International Conferences of the Red Cross in Geneva, in 1921 and 1923.

In its Circular No. 502 of 23 August 1976, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to invite the Central Committees of National Societies to send in the names of nurses and voluntary aids whom they judged qualified to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. This invitation, which quoted Article 1 of the Regulations, was accompanied by application forms to be completed by National Societies.

A delegation from the Alliance of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of the USSR visited ICRC headquarters from 26 to 28 April. The delegation was led by Dr. V. A. Baltiyski, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Alliance, and included Mrs. L. I. Tcherkasskaya, Chief of the Section for Co-operation with International Organizations, Mr. B. I. Morgunov, Chief of the External Relations Department, and his deputy, Mr. I. A. Teterin.

Mr. Waldemar Jucker, member of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has resigned from the Committee following his appointment by the Swiss Government as of 1 April 1977 as delegate of the Federal Council for questions of economic development.

On 10 December 1976, the Swiss Government received an instrument of ratification of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 from the Republic of Bolivia and accordingly notified the Governments of the States parties to these conventions.

Presidential mission. —Mr. Alexandre Hay, President of the ICRC, visited South Africa from 19 to 26 April, in the company of Mr. Frank Schmidt, Delegate General for Africa. On 21 April, Mr. Hay met Mr. John Vorster, Prime Minister, Mr. R. F. Botha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. J. Kruger, Minister of Justice, Mr. P. W. Botha, Minister of Defence, and Mr. S. van der Merwe, Minister of Health. The talks dealt mainly with humanitarian problems in southern African and in particular with the subject of detention. In this connection, the ICRC, which visits sentenced political detainees, expressed the wish to extend such visits to other categories of detainees, especially those arrested under the “Terrorism Act” and the “General Law Amendment Act”.