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ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS: Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have remained tense since hostilities broke out in May 1998, and the ICRC has continuously maintained its assistance to those affected by the conflict situation.
ICRC PRESIDENT CALLS FOR GLOBALIZATION OF RESPONSIBILITY AT OPENING MEETING OF UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga was invited to speak as a special guest at the opening of the 49th annual meeting of the UNHCR Executive Committee on 5 October 1998 in Geneva. Addressing the representatives of 53 UNHCR member States, countries with observer status and international organizations within the framework of the overall theme "International solidarity and burden-sharing", Mr Sommaruga made a rousing plea for a "globalization of responsibility" in meeting today's humanitarian challenges.
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ERITREA-ETHIOPIA HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS
Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have remained tense since hostilities broke out in May 1998, and the ICRC has continuously maintained its assistance to those affected by the conflict situation. In Eritrea, following its visit to a group of prisoners of war immediately before their repatriation to Ethiopia at the end of August, the ICRC has started to visit civilian internees in various places of detention. It is pursuing its efforts to gain access to all prisoners of war. In Ethiopia, the ICRC has continued its regular visits to all prisoners of war and to civilian internees.
A network has been established for the exchange of family news between interned persons and their relatives; to date, some 700 Red Cross messages have thus been delivered in and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The ICRC is also actively involved in reuniting unaccompanied minors with their parents.
In its capacity as a neutral humanitarian intermediary, since early August the ICRC has ensured safe passage for Eritrean and Ethiopian civilians across the front lines. Eighteen such crossings have been organized so far. Furthermore, it has regularly brought up recurrent humanitarian problems with the relevant authorities.
The Ethiopian Red Cross Society and the Red Cross Society of Eritrea are also engaged in assisting the victims of the conflict in cooperation with the ICRC. In response to the needs assessed on both sides, they have provided support for ambulance services, delivered supplies to medical facilities and first-aid material to Red Cross volunteers and distributed blankets, jerrycans, cooking pots, kitchen sets and other basic necessities. Further programmes are being worked out to prepare for all eventualities.
Following the outbreak of hostilities, the ICRC officially opened an office in Eritrea in August 1998 and is now endeavouring to protect and assist the victims of this international armed conflict in accordance with its mandate and to foster implementation of the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions. The ICRC's standard working procedures include confidential relations with the authorities concerned.
Further information: Yves Giovannoni, ICRC Addis Ababa, tel: ++2511 518 366 Peter Iseli, ICRC Asmara, tel: ++2911 20 24 60
ICRC PRESIDENT CALLS FOR GLOBALIZATION OF RESPONSIBILITY AT OPENING MEETING OF UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga was invited to speak as a special guest at the opening of the 49th annual meeting of the UNHCR Executive Committee on 5 October 1998 in Geneva. Addressing the representatives of 53 UNHCR member States, countries with observer status and international organizations within the framework of the overall theme "International solidarity and burden-sharing", Mr Sommaruga made a rousing plea for a "globalization of responsibility" in meeting today's humanitarian challenges. He said that this needed to be developed along the lines of "a shared solidarity that does not diminish the responsibility of States but encourages and strengthens it through the expectations and combined responses of other centres of power" in today's society.
The President went on to state that international humanitarian law, refugee law and human rights law all tended towards a common goal, based as they were on ethical standards of solidarity that constituted a common heritage of mankind. Referring to international humanitarian law in particular, he pointed out that if its rules and principles were complied with a large proportion of population movements caused by armed conflict could be avoided, adding that humanitarian law applied to refugees, the internally displaced and returnees as civilians threatened by hostilities.
As regards coordination between the ICRC and UNHCR in the field, Mr Sommaruga said that when there was a risk of duplication of effort, as in Kosovo, Colombia and Sri Lanka, frank discussion between the two organizations generally led to a clearer division of responsibilities. The aim in that respect was to achieve maximum complementarity, while taking due account of the specific role and areas of competence of each of them.
In conclusion, the President reiterated the ICRC's intention to continue to develop its independent humanitarian action in order to reach all victims suffering the effects of armed conflicts and violence, including the internally displaced, and welcomed the completion of the "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement" presented by Mr Francis Deng at the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Further information: Ruben Ortega, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 4122 730 3203
During the weekend of 9 - 10 October 1998, for all information please call the press officer on duty Pierre Gauthier, on (mobile) 41 79 202 36 70