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105-490: Colombian politician and then-senator Consuelo González was kidnapped by the FARC on September 10, 2001. Her captors held her to pressure a possible " humanitarian exchange " between government-held guerrilla prisoners for FARC-held hostages. In 2002, former vice presidential candidate Clara Rojas was kidnapped along with presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt , and were also held by the FARC. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez said

210-540: A demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Colombia under certain conditions. That the DMZ should not be located near a densely populated area, no weapons inside the area and within a radius of 150 km . The proposal had been previously proposed by Uribe and the collaborating governments of France, Spain and Switzerland. Political parties including the main opposition party Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA) supported Uribe's idea of allowing

315-572: A "Meeting area" and called the High Commissioner for Peace a liar. The FARC thanked publicly President Hugo Chávez for his work as facilitator while it lasted and called the Colombian government's decision to end Chávez' negotiation as "barbaric diplomacy". The Colombian government called to be prudent to FARC remarks. President Chávez proposed a humanitarian mission to rescue Clara Rojas , her son Emmanuel and Consuelo González in Colombia with

420-659: A Sub-committee charged with the preparation of a Memorandum on these matters for submission to the Welfare Congress to be held in Berlin in September 1863. The members of this Sub-committee, aside from Dunant himself, were Gustave Moynier , lawyer and chairman of the Geneva Society for Public Welfare; physician Louis Appia , who had significant experience working as a field surgeon; Appia's friend and colleague Théodore Maunoir , from

525-558: A boy matching Emmanuel's description had been taken to a hospital in San José del Guaviare in June 2005. The child was in poor condition: one of his arms was injured, he had severe malnutrition, and he had diseases that are commonly suffered in the jungle. Having been evidently mistreated, the boy was later sent to a foster home in Bogotá, and DNA tests were conducted to confirm his identity. On January 4,

630-458: A committee consisting of amiable but somewhat ineffective Geneva gentlemen. That which calls itself "international" has grown rather provincial… New blood, new methods, a new and more comprehensive outlook, these things are necessary. The League was established in 1919 with Davison as its chairman. However, "Swiss aloofness or unilateralism was hard to overcome", and the relationship between the ICRC and

735-566: A documentary about the ordeal. Family members of the three hostages travelled from Colombia to Caracas to wait for the end of the operation, set to conclude in Caracas with President Chávez receiving the hostages, as previously petitioned by the FARC as a condition. During the first phase, two Russian-made MI-17 helicopters from the Venezuelan Military Search and Rescue Team flew into Colombia on December 27, 2007 at 1530 hours, with

840-716: A lack of respect for the rules of the Geneva Conventions and their protection symbols. Among the slain delegates were: In 2011, ICRC launched the Health Care In Danger campaign to highlight risks to humanitarian healthcare workers. The original motto of the International Committee of the Red Cross was Inter Arma Caritas ("Amidst War, Charity"). It has preserved this motto while other Red Cross organizations have adopted others. Due to Geneva's location in

945-429: A limit for President Chávez as negotiator for the humanitarian exchange until December 31, 2007. This, after Chávez proposed a meeting between "Tiro Fijo" and President Uribe. Chávez did not provide any evidence. On November 22, 2007, President Uribe decided to end the mediation by President Chávez and senator Cordoba after Chávez decided to communicate directly with the higher command of the Colombian military. Uribe, in

1050-463: A mandate from the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC tried to ameliorate the suffering of civil populations. In territories that were officially designated as "occupied territories," the ICRC could assist the civilian population on the basis of the Hague Convention 's "Laws and Customs of War on Land" of 1907. This convention was also the legal basis for the ICRC's work for prisoners of war. In addition to

1155-663: A mark in the history of the committee as its longest-serving President ever. In 1906, the 1864 Geneva Convention was revised for the first time. One year later, the Hague Convention X , adopted at the Second International Peace Conference in The Hague , extended the scope of the Geneva Convention to naval warfare. Shortly before the beginning of the First World War in 1914, 50 years after the foundation of

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1260-581: A national relief society by the International Committee: Directly following the establishment of the Geneva Convention, the first national societies were founded in Belgium, Denmark, France, Oldenburg , Prussia, Spain, and Württemberg. Also in 1864, Louis Appia and Charles van de Velde , a captain of the Dutch Army , became the first independent and neutral delegates to work under the symbol of

1365-551: A new Convention "relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War," was established. Also, the additional protocols of 8 June 1977 were intended to make the conventions apply to internal conflicts such as civil wars. Today, the four conventions and their added protocols contain more than 600 articles, a remarkable expansion when compared to the mere 10 articles in the first 1864 convention. In celebration of its centennial in 1963,

1470-547: A possible accord to exchange hostages for prisoners between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group and the Government of Colombia . The President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe and the FARC conditioned the agreement, which was primarily pushed by the families of the victims, certain Colombian politicians and numerous governments that include France and Venezuela . After years of combat in

1575-530: A private conversation, had warned Chávez during the 17th Ibero-American Summit not to talk directly with members of the Colombian military without going through the chain of command and the proper diplomatic channels. Chávez talked directly with the General of the Colombian National Army , Gen. Mario Montoya Uribe and asked him detailed information about the number of hostages in Colombia. He also asked

1680-469: A rather short period of time, the Red Cross gained huge momentum as an internationally respected movement, and the national societies became increasingly popular as a venue for volunteer work. When the first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1901, the Norwegian Nobel Committee opted to give it jointly to Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy , a leading international pacifist. More significant than

1785-492: A single day, about 40,000 soldiers on both sides died or were left wounded on the field. Henry Dunant was shocked by the terrible aftermath of the battle, the suffering of the wounded soldiers, and the near-total lack of medical attendance and basic care. He completely abandoned the original intent of his trip and for several days he devoted himself to helping with the treatment and care for the wounded. He succeeded in organizing an overwhelming level of relief assistance by motivating

1890-461: Is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance." It also conducts and coordinates international relief and works to promote and strengthen international humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. The core tasks of the committee, which are derived from the Geneva Conventions and its own statutes are: The ICRC drew up seven fundamental principles in 1965 that were adopted by

1995-652: The 1907 Hague Convention X . The 1929 Geneva convention "relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War" may have been the second Geneva Convention from a historical point of view (because it was actually formulated in Geneva), but after 1949 it came to be called the third Convention because it came later chronologically than the Hague Convention. Reacting to the experience of World War II, the Fourth Geneva Convention ,

2100-462: The Colombian armed conflict the FARC guerrilla group kidnapped numerous government officials, politicians and military and police personnel to pressure the release of their members jailed by the government. The FARC guerrillas originally demanded that in order to proceed with the humanitarian exchange, the government must demilitarize a zone, which are the municipalities of Pradera and Florida in

2205-517: The Geneva Hygiene and Health Commission ; and Guillaume-Henri Dufour , a Swiss Army general of great renown. Eight days later, on 17 February 1863, the five men held the first meeting of the Sub-committee and decided the Sub-committee should declare itself constituted a "Permanent International Committee", which would thus continue to exist as an "International Committee for Relief of Wounded in

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2310-631: The League of Red Cross Societies was founded on 15 May 1919, by the societies of Great Britain , France , Japan , Italy , and the United States . Davison, wanted the League of Red Cross Societies to supersede the ICRC in controlling the Red Cross action in international affairs. He argued that: It should be in reality, and not merely in name an International Committee, a Committee on which there will be representatives from all countries, instead of, as at present,

2415-531: The Pan-American Highway , stopping in every town he found on his path to have a rest and to collect signatures for a petition to President Álvaro Uribe to conduct a prisoner exchange. While president of France , Jacques Chirac exerted political pressure on the Uribe administration to persuade him to accept the FARC demands and achieve the humanitarian exchange. Uribe conditioned the offer and suggested that

2520-642: The Red Crystal . The Red Crescent was adopted by the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish war and the Red Crystal by the governments in 2005, as an additional emblem devoid of any national, political or religious connotation. The official mission statement says that: "The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission

2625-449: The 1990s. It broke its customary media silence when it denounced the Rwandan genocide in 1994. It struggled to prevent the crimes that happened in and around Srebrenica in 1995 but admitted, "We must acknowledge that despite our efforts to help thousands of civilians forcibly expelled from the town and despite the dedication of our colleagues on the spot, the ICRC's impact on the unfolding of

2730-681: The Agency accumulated about 7 million records from 1914 to 1923, each card representing an individual prisoner or missing person. The card index led to the identification of about 2 million POWs and the ability to contact their families, as part of the Restoring Family Links effort of the organization. The complete index is on loan today from the ICRC to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva. The right to access

2835-716: The Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field". Representatives of 12 states and kingdoms signed the convention: The convention contained ten articles, establishing for the first time legally binding rules guaranteeing neutrality and protection for wounded soldiers, field medical personnel, and specific humanitarian institutions in an armed conflict. Furthermore, the convention defined two specific requirements for recognition of

2940-413: The Colombian army LT Raimundo Malagón to Efraín Malagón, Stella Malagón and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez . And one from Ingrid Betancourt to her mother Yolanda Pulecio. After the negative of President Sarkozy to negotiate directly between the two parts after President Uribe's proposal to do it, he publicly addressed the FARC to free Ingrid Betancourt and the hostages, he also added that the government

3045-574: The Colombian military to support the demilitarization of the municipalities of Pradera and Florida in the Department of Valle del Cauca . Chávez supported the creation of the demilitarized area for an eventual reunion of him with Manuel Marulanda Velez . In a public address Chávez then told Uribe that he would be open at any time to mediate again between the government and the FARC. The mediation duties in time were returned to Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez who thanked

3150-560: The Committee published a report reviewing its war-era activities from 1 September 1939 to 30 June 1947. Since January 1996, the ICRC archive for this period has been open to academic and public research. In December 1948 the ICRC was invited, along with the IFRC and AFSC , by the United Nations to take part in a $ 32 million emergency relief programme working with Palestinian refugees. The ICRC

3255-459: The FARC announced that they would release three civilian hostages Luis Eladio Perez Bonilla  [ es ] , Gloria Polanco , and Orlando Beltran Cuellar  [ es ] to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as a humanitarian gesture. All of them were kidnapped in 2001. On February 27, 2008, the three hostages and Jorge Gechem Turbay  [ es ] (who was added to the list due to his poor health) were released by FARC. With

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3360-524: The French-speaking part of Switzerland, the ICRC is also known under its initial French name Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR). However, the ICRC has three official languages (English, French and Spanish). The official symbol of the ICRC is the Red Cross on white background (the inverse of the Swiss flag ) with the words "COMITE INTERNATIONAL GENEVE" circling the cross. Under the Geneva Convention,

3465-505: The Geneva statutes including blatant violations such as the deportation of Jews from Germany and the mass murders conducted in the concentration camps run by the German government. Moreover, two other main parties to the conflict, the Soviet Union and Japan , were not party to the 1929 Geneva Conventions and were not legally required to follow the rules of the conventions. During the war,

3570-600: The ICRC observer status for its assembly sessions and sub-committee meetings, the first observer status given to a private organization. The resolution was jointly proposed by 138 member states and introduced by the Italian ambassador, Vieri Traxler , in memory of the organization's origins in the Battle of Solferino. An agreement with the Swiss government signed on 19 March 1993, affirmed the already long-standing policy of full independence of

3675-466: The ICRC a mandate to protect victims of international and internal armed conflicts . Such victims include war wounded persons, prisoners , refugees , civilians , and other non-combatants . The ICRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement , along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and 191 National Societies . It is

3780-470: The ICRC and the adoption of the first Geneva Convention, there were already 45 national relief societies throughout the world. The movement had extended itself beyond Europe and North America to Central and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Uruguay, Venezuela), Asia (the Republic of China, Japan, Korea, Siam ), and Africa (South Africa). With the outbreak of World War I ,

3885-573: The ICRC because they were deemed as acting unduly on his own authority and risking the ICRC's neutrality. Only in 1990 was his reputation finally rehabilitated by ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga . In 1944, the ICRC received its second Nobel Peace Prize. As in World War I, it received the only Peace Prize awarded during the main period of war, 1939 to 1945. At the end of the war, the ICRC worked with national Red Cross societies to organize relief assistance to those countries most severely affected. In 1948,

3990-423: The ICRC failed to obtain an agreement with Nazi Germany about the treatment of detainees in concentration camps, and it eventually abandoned applying pressure to avoid disrupting its work with POWs. There was no public condemnation of treatment in concentration camps, and a proposed 1942 appeal on the conduct of hostilities was abandoned. In addition, the ICRC failed to develop a response to reliable information about

4095-615: The ICRC found itself confronted with enormous challenges which it could only handle by working closely with the national Red Cross societies. Red Cross nurses from around the world, including the United States and Japan, came to support the medical services of the armed forces of the European countries involved in the war. On 15 October 1914, immediately after the start of the war, the ICRC set up its International Prisoners-of-War ( POW ) Agency, which had about 1,200 mostly volunteer staff members by

4200-521: The ICRC was to provide the families of the prisoners with some hope and solace and to alleviate their uncertainties about the fate of their loved ones. After the end of the war, the ICRC organized the return of about 420,000 prisoners to their home countries. In 1920, the task of repatriation was handed over to the newly founded League of Nations , which appointed the Norwegian diplomat and scientist Fridtjof Nansen as its "High Commissioner for Repatriation of

4305-467: The ICRC, together with the League of Red Cross Societies , received its third Nobel Peace Prize. Since 1993, non-Swiss individuals have been allowed to serve as Committee delegates abroad, a task which was previously restricted to Swiss citizens. Indeed, since then, the share of staff without Swiss citizenship has increased to about 35%. On 16 October 1990, the UN General Assembly decided to grant

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4410-425: The League became, and remained, a problem for years to come. The untimely death of Davison in 1922 after an operation will undoubtedly have had an adverse impact on the league’s ability to counter what he saw as Swiss intransigence. In 1923, the Committee adopted a change in its policy regarding the selection of new members. Until then, only citizens from the city of Geneva could serve in the committee. This limitation

4515-468: The Nazis. For the rest of the war, the Red Cross took its cues from Switzerland in avoiding acts of opposition or confrontation with the Nazis. On 12 March 1945, ICRC President Jacob Burckhardt received a message from SS General Ernst Kaltenbrunner accepting the ICRC's demand to allow delegates to visit the concentration camps. This agreement was bound by the condition that these delegates would have to stay in

4620-648: The Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva , Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and promoting humanitarian norms . State parties (signatories) to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocols of 1977 ( Protocol I , Protocol II ) and 2005 have given

4725-605: The Red Cross in an armed conflict. Three years later in 1867, the first International Conference of National Aid Societies for the Nursing of the War Wounded was convened. Also in 1867, Henry Dunant was forced to declare bankruptcy due to business failures in Algeria, partly because he had neglected his business interests during his tireless activities for the International Committee. The controversy surrounding Dunant's business dealings and

4830-564: The War Prisoners". His legal mandate was later extended to support and care for war refugees and displaced persons when his office became that of the League of Nations " High Commissioner for Refugees ". Nansen, who invented the Nansen passport for stateless refugees and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922, appointed two delegates from the ICRC as his deputies. A year before the end of

4935-484: The area. The region of Yari is located within the Department of Vichada , near the border with Venezuela and Brazil . To these Chávez publicly asked Uribe for the creation of the demilitarized zone. On November 19, 2007, President Chávez, Senator Cordoba and President Sarkozy met in Paris with most of the media expecting videos proving that the kidnapped remained alive. President Uribe meanwhile announced that he had set up

5040-413: The authorization of the Colombian government and the participation of the International Red Cross , a Venezuelan helicopter transported them to Caracas from San Jose del Guaviare . Participants Timeline Key aspects Former guerrillas Linked to Former government program Linked to Former paramilitaries Linked to International Committee of

5145-551: The battlefield. In June 1859, the Swiss businessman Henry Dunant travelled to Italy to meet French emperor Napoléon III with the intention of discussing difficulties in conducting business in Algeria, at that time occupied by France. When he arrived in the small Italian town of Solferino on the evening of 24 June, he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino , an engagement in the Second Italian War of Independence . In

5250-411: The camps until the end of the war. Ten delegates, among them Louis Haefliger ( Mauthausen Camp ), Paul Dunant ( Theresienstadt Camp ) and Victor Maurer ( Dachau Camp ), accepted the assignment and visited the camps. Louis Haefliger prevented the forceful eviction or blasting of Mauthausen-Gusen by alerting American troops, thereby saving the lives of about 60,000 inmates. His actions were condemned by

5355-702: The care of the commission. The release received ample coverage by Venezuelan government media, which was allowed to take camera men in the helicopters in what was to become a carefully crafted media showcase. On January 13, 2008, Rojas was reunited with Emmanuel. It was the first time she had seen her son in over two years. Participants Timeline Key aspects Former guerrillas Linked to Former government program Linked to Former paramilitaries Linked to Humanitarian exchange The Humanitarian Exchange or Humanitarian Accord ( Spanish : Acuerdo Humanitario, Intercambio Humanitario or Canje Humanitario ) referred to

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5460-519: The case of war. In addition, he called for the development of international treaties to guarantee the neutrality and protection of those wounded on the battlefield as well as medics and field hospitals. On 9 February 1863, the Geneva Society for Public Welfare held a meeting where it was decided to give serious consideration to the suggestions made in Dunant's book and appointed five of its members to form

5565-483: The child in order to sabotage his liberation. Further medical tests revealed beyond any doubt the child's identity. The suspended Operation Emmanuel resumed and, on January 10, 2008, a humanitarian commission, headed by the International Committee of the Red Cross , flew in two Venezuelan helicopters to a location in Colombia that FARC had designated the previous day. Rojas and Gonzalez were then released to

5670-594: The committee from any possible interference by Switzerland. The agreement protects the full sanctity of all ICRC property in Switzerland including its headquarters and archive, grants members and staff legal immunity, exempts the ICRC from all taxes and fees, guarantees the protected and duty-free transfer of goods, services, and money, provides the ICRC with secure communication privileges at the same level as foreign embassies, and simplifies Committee travel in and out of Switzerland. The ICRC continued its activities throughout

5775-494: The concentration camps and delivered about 1.1 million parcels, primarily to the camps Dachau , Buchenwald , Ravensbrück , and Sachsenhausen . Swiss historian Jean-Claude Favez, who conducted an 8-year review of the Red Cross records, says that even though the Red Cross knew by November 1942 about the Nazi's annihilation plans for the Jews – and even discussed it with U.S. officials –

5880-611: The condition that the meetings between him and the FARC occurred in Venezuelan territory. On November 5, 2007, Chávez announced that members of the Secretariat of the FARC (higher command) were in Venezuela. On November 8, 2007, Chávez met at the Palacio de Miraflores with alias " Iván Márquez " one of the highest members of the FARC and members of its secretariat. Márquez is considered one of

5985-401: The conditions of the detainees. The most reliable primary source on the role of the Red Cross during World War II are the three volumes of the "Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross on its activities during the second world war (September 1, 1939 – June 30, 1947)" written by the International Committee of the Red Cross itself. The report can be read online. The legal basis of

6090-402: The conditions seen in enslaved societies […]” On December 31, Hugo Chávez read a letter from FARC wherein the group claimed that the hostage release had been delayed because of Colombian military operations. However, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe indicated that FARC had not freed the three hostages because Emmanuel appeared not be in their hands any longer. Colombian authorities added that

6195-413: The courageous acts of individual ICRC delegates at the time. On 4 October 2023 the committee issued a set of rules for civilian hackers to abide by . At the end of the Cold War , the ICRC's work actually became more dangerous. In the 1990s, more delegates lost their lives than at any point in its history, especially when working in local and internal armed conflicts. These incidents often demonstrated

6300-427: The demilitarization. During the inauguration of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as President of Argentina most of the Latin American leaders present, including President Uribe, supported the formation of a common bloc to free the hostages in Colombia. These after President Kirchner met with Ingrid Betancourt's mother Yolanda Pulecio and French President Sarkozy had called for the support his idea of helping to free

6405-458: The early 1970s to obtain ransoms and maintain their operations. During the government of President Ernesto Samper the FARC began to kidnap high-profile government, political, military and law enforcement figures to push for the liberation of their comrades held in prisons by the government. The FARC assaulted numerous villages and military garrisons and captured hundreds of military and police personnel, for example, Jhon Frank Pinchao . Members of

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6510-447: The end of 1914. By the end of the war, the Agency had transferred about 20 million letters and messages, 1.9 million parcels, and about 18 million Swiss francs in monetary donations to POWs of all affected countries. Furthermore, due to the intervention of the Agency, about 200,000 prisoners were exchanged between the warring parties, released from captivity and returned to their home country. The organizational card index of

6615-433: The end of the war, 179 delegates had conducted 12,750 visits to POW camps in 41 countries. The Central Information Agency on Prisoners-of-War ( Zentralauskunftsstelle für Kriegsgefangene ) had a staff of 3,000, the card index tracking prisoners contained 45 million cards, and 120 million messages were exchanged by the Agency. One major obstacle was that the Nazi -controlled German Red Cross refused to cooperate with

6720-482: The event of War" after its mandate from the Geneva Society for Public Welfare had expired. Among other activities, the Committee organized an international conference in Geneva in October (26–29) 1863 to develop possible measures to improve medical services on the battlefield. The conference was attended by 36 individuals: eighteen official delegates from national governments, six delegates from other non-governmental organizations, seven non-official foreign delegates, and

6825-428: The extermination camps and the mass killing of European Jews. This is still considered the greatest failure of the ICRC in its history. After November 1943, the ICRC achieved permission to send parcels to concentration camp detainees with known names and locations. Because the notices of receipt for these parcels were often signed by other inmates, the ICRC managed to register the identities of about 105,000 detainees in

6930-646: The families of the hostages. He also mentioned that Colombia needed a solution for its armed conflict and said "the first step is to call for the inconditional release of all hostages, including Betancourt". On December 18, 2007, the FARC released a communique in which they reaffirmed their will to the municipalities of Florida and Pradera demilitarized for 45 days in order to exchange the hostages for prisoners. They also said that they would free three hostages Clara Rojas and her born in captivity son Emmanuel and former congresswoman Consuelo González de Perdomo unilaterally. The FARC disagreed with President Uribe on creating

7035-459: The five members of the committee. The states and kingdoms represented by official delegates were Grand Duchy of Baden , Kingdom of Bavaria , Second French Empire , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , Kingdom of Hanover , Grand Duchy of Hesse , Kingdom of Italy , Kingdom of the Netherlands , Austrian Empire , Kingdom of Prussia , Russian Empire , Kingdom of Saxony , United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway , and Spanish Empire . Among

7140-406: The government were also kidnapped ranging from senators like Jorge Gechem Turbay  [ es ] , presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt , 12 Valle del Cauca Deputies , 3 U.S. contractors who were working with Plan Colombia , among other cases. During the presidency of Andrés Pastrana , the government and the FARC maintained a demilitarized zone in El Caguan in an attempt to negotiate

7245-429: The group did nothing to inform the public, maintaining silence even in the face of pleas by Jewish groups. Because the Red Cross was based in Geneva and largely funded by the Swiss government, it was very sensitive to Swiss wartime attitudes and policies. In October 1942, the Swiss government and the Red Cross' board of members vetoed a proposal by several Red Cross board members to condemn the persecution of civilians by

7350-402: The honour of the prize itself, the official congratulation from the International Committee of the Red Cross marked the overdue rehabilitation of Henry Dunant and represented a tribute to his key role in the formation of the Red Cross. Dunant died nine years later in the small Swiss health resort of Heiden . Only two months earlier his long-standing adversary Gustave Moynier had also died, leaving

7455-421: The hostages in Colombia. Fernández de Kirchner said "from now on we will collaborate in everything we can for the freedom of Ingrid Betancourt". President of Chile Michelle Bachelet said "what most worries her is the "deteriorated and dramatic" image of Ingrid Betancourt" and moved to support the call for the FARC to free the hostages. President of Ecuador Rafael Correa sent a message of solidarity to all

7560-521: The imprisoned guerrillas would be liberated in France instead of Colombia. This was later discarded by the FARC. As a candidate Nicolas Sarkozy reassured his intentions to push for the liberation of Ingrid Betancourt and the other hostages held by the FARC. President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez was contacted by Colombian liberal senator Piedad Córdoba to bargain a negotiation for the "humanitarian exchange". President Uribe authorized his mediation with

7665-402: The index is still strictly restricted to the ICRC. During the entire war, the ICRC monitored warring parties' compliance with the Geneva Conventions of the 1907 revision and forwarded complaints about violations to the respective country. When chemical weapons were used in this war for the first time in history, the ICRC vigorously protested against this new type of warfare. Even without having

7770-528: The local population to aid without discrimination. Back in his home in Geneva , he decided to write a book titled A Memory of Solferino which he published with his own money in 1862. He sent copies of the book to leading political and military figures throughout Europe. In addition to penning a vivid description of his experiences in Solferino in 1859, he explicitly advocated the formation of national voluntary relief organizations to help nurse wounded soldiers in

7875-534: The mediation of President Chávez and senator Cordoba. President Sarkozy asked Uribe to find alternative channel to negotiate. The exchange of words heated up between Uribe and Chávez that led to suspension of Colombia-Venezuela relations . On November 25, 2007, a video of CNP Captain Guillermo Solórzano surfaced and was published by the Latin American news network teleSUR . The video in an interview mode

7980-568: The most radical political leaders of the FARC. Chávez announced that the FARC wanted the demilitarization of the municipalities of Florida and Pradera in the Department of Valle del Cauca and also asked for a meeting between Chávez and alias " Manuel Marulanda Velez " leader of the FARC in the Region of Yari. The Yari is considered a historic enclave by the FARC, but after the military offensives of Plan Colombia and Plan Patriota these were pushed out from

8085-411: The oldest and most honoured organization within the movement and one of the most widely recognized organizations in the world, having won three Nobel Peace Prizes (in 1917, 1944, and 1963). Up until the middle of the 19th century , there were no organized and well-established army nursing systems for casualties and no safe and protected institutions to accommodate and treat those who were wounded on

8190-400: The organization has learned from the failure: In an official statement made on 27 January 2005, the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the ICRC stated: Auschwitz also represents the greatest failure in the history of the ICRC, aggravated by its lack of decisiveness in taking steps to aid the victims of Nazi persecution. This failure will remain part of the ICRC's memory, as will

8295-453: The permission of the Colombian government. Chávez' plan was supported by the governments of Argentina, Brazil, France, Ecuador and Bolivia, as well as the Red Cross which will also participate of the operation. The mission consisted on flying Venezuelan aircraft labeled with the Red Cross insignia and into Colombia to an airport in the town of Villacicencio . Then resupply and from there reach

8400-590: The permission of the President of Colombia and with the International Red Cross (IRC) insignia for a humanitarian mission. The helicopters flew more than two hours from the Venezuelan town of Santo Domingo in the State of Táchira to the Colombian city of Villavicencio , capital of the Department of Meta , arriving at approximately 1730 hours. Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace , Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez ,

8505-525: The plan consisted of three phases. The first phase comprised sending two Mil Mi-17 helicopters to Colombia carrying five International Red Cross Committee delegates. Both helicopters were to be equipped with medical aid appropriate for the humanitarian mission and in accordance with International Red Cross standards. Chávez personally inspected the two helicopters in Santo Domingo before departing along with former president of Argentina Néstor Kirchner , who

8610-537: The possibility of a peace process . The FARC freed 304 soldiers and policemen that were held to pressure the government. The Farc wanted to establish a permanent "Law of exchange" ( Spanish : Ley del Canje ) which would facilitate the exchange of prisoners with hostages when necessary. On August 7, 2002, Álvaro Uribe took oath as president of Colombia. On this same date Uribe announced that he had attempted to contact United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and asked him to mediate. Annan accepted but only if

8715-432: The proposals written in the final resolutions of the conference, adopted on 29 October 1863, were: Only one year later, the Swiss government invited the governments of all European countries, as well as the United States, Brazil, and Mexico, to attend an official diplomatic conference. Sixteen countries sent a total of twenty-six delegates to Geneva. On 22 August 1864, the conference adopted the first Geneva Convention "for

8820-458: The red cross, red crescent and red crystal emblems provide protection for military medical services and relief workers in armed conflicts and is to be placed on humanitarian and medical vehicles and buildings. The original emblem that has a red cross on a white background is the exact reverse of the flag of neutral Switzerland. It was later supplemented by two others which are the Red Crescent , and

8925-547: The respective activities of the ICRC significantly increased the reputation and authority of the Committee among the international community and led to an extension of its competencies. As early as in 1934, a draft proposal for an additional convention for the protection of the civil population during an armed conflict was adopted by the International Red Cross Conference. Unfortunately, most governments had little interest in implementing this convention, and it

9030-530: The resulting negative public opinion, combined with an ongoing conflict with Gustave Moynier, led to Dunant's expulsion from his position as a member and secretary. He was charged with fraudulent bankruptcy and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Thus, he was forced to leave Geneva and never returned to his home city. In the following years, national societies were founded in nearly every country in Europe. The project resonated well with patriotic sentiments that were on

9135-433: The results of a mitochondrial DNA test, comparing the child's DNA with that of his potential grandmother Clara de Rojas, were revealed by the Colombian government. It was reported that there was a very high probability that the boy was indeed a Rojas family member. A further analysis was carried out in a Santiago de Compostela institute in order to verify the results. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro questioned

9240-402: The results, stating that Colombia did not allow Venezuelan specialists to conduct their own tests and had created a "cloak of doubt". On January 4, the FARC released a communique in which they admitted that Emmanuel had been taken to Bogotá and "left in the care of honest persons" for safety reasons, until a humanitarian exchange could take place. The group accused President Uribe of "kidnapping"

9345-539: The rise in the late-nineteenth-century, and national societies were often encouraged as signifiers of national moral superiority. In 1876, the committee adopted the name "International Committee of the Red Cross" (ICRC), which is still its official designation today. Five years later, the American Red Cross was founded through the efforts of Clara Barton . More and more countries signed the Geneva Convention and began to respect it in practice during armed conflicts. In

9450-470: The secret rescue point set up by the FARC. On December 26, 2007, the Colombian government through the Minister of Foreign Affairs approved the mission. On January 10, 2008, former vice presidential candidate Clara Rojas and former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez were freed after six years in captivity. It was also revealed that Emmanuel was already in a foster home, not with the FARC. On January 31, 2008,

9555-570: The southern Department of Valle del Cauca . The government of Colombia maintained that this is impossible and non-negotiable. However, after Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors were rescued in July 2008, the FARC dropped that demand because they no longer had their most famous bargaining chips. The FARC guerrillas eventually dropped their prisoner exchange demand and released their last political hostages in April 2012. The FARC began to kidnap in

9660-573: The three U.S. contractors Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes, as well as Army Lieutenant Juan Carlos Bermeo, Corporal José Miguel Arteaga, Sub-Intendant of the CNP Armando Castellanos, Army LT. Raimundo Malagón, Corporal William Pérez Medina, Sergeant José Ricardo Marulanda and Corporal Armando Flórez Pantoja. There were seven letters; two from Thomas Howes, to Mariana Howes and a power of attorney letter. One letter from Mark Gonsalves to FARC leader " Mono Jojoy ". Three letters from

9765-460: The tragedy was extremely limited." It went public once again in 2007 to decry "major human rights abuses" by Burma's military government including forced labour, starvation, and murder of men, women, and children. By taking part in the 1995 ceremony to commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp , the President of the ICRC, Cornelio Sommaruga , sought to show that the organization

9870-410: The two parties agreed. The negotiations through spokesmen started. On June 17, 2007, Professor Gustavo Moncayo , father of a soldier held by the FARC guerrillas since 1997, began to walk as protest from his hometown Sandoná , in the department of Nariño , southern Colombia, to Bogotá , seeking to promote an agreement for the release of his son Pablo Emilio. He was accompanied by his daughter along

9975-491: The war, the ICRC received the 1917 Nobel Peace Prize for its outstanding wartime work. It was the only Nobel Peace Prize awarded in the period from 1914 to 1918. After the war ended, Henry Pomeroy Davison , who had been Chairman of the War Council of the American Red Cross pressed for the creation of an international organization to coordinate the work of the different national Red Cross societies. Based on his recommendation,

10080-611: The work of the ICRC during World War II was the Geneva Conventions (1929) revision, as well as the Convention relating to the International Status of Refugees , of 28 October 1933. The activities of the committee were similar to those during World War I: visiting and monitoring POW camps, organizing relief assistance for civilian populations, and administering the exchange of messages regarding prisoners and missing persons. By

10185-575: The work of the International Prisoner-of-War Agency as described above this included inspection visits to POW camps . A total of 524 camps throughout Europe were visited by 41 delegates from the ICRC until the end of the war. Between 1916 and 1918, the ICRC published a number of postcards with scenes from the POW camps. The pictures showed the prisoners in day-to-day activities such as the distribution of letters from home. The intention of

10290-402: Was also invited to supervise the operations. Besides the two Mi-17 helicopters, two Bell 412 helicopters and three French-made executive Falcon 200  [ fr ] jets were used for support tasks. Along with the ICRC delegates were representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, France, and Switzerland. Hollywood director Oliver Stone was contacted by Chávez to film

10395-549: Was done by Colombian reporter William Parra who later gave an excerpt to teleSUR. On November 30, 2007, the Colombian National Army captured three individuals pertaining to the FARC. The guerrillas had in their possession numerous thumb drives, videos and letters of the hostages held by FARC. The videos showed footage of Ingrid Betancourt , Vice First Sergeant Erasmo Romero, CNP Lieutenant Vianey Rodriguez Porras, CNP Private Julio César Buitrago and CNP Private Jairo Durán Puerto dated from October 23–24, 2007. Another video showed

10500-420: Was expanded to include Swiss citizens. As a direct consequence of World War I, an additional protocol to the Geneva Convention was adopted in 1925 which outlawed the use of suffocating or poisonous gases and biological agents as weapons. Four years later, the original Convention was revised and the second Geneva Convention "relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War" was established. The events of World War I and

10605-402: Was fully aware of the gravity of The Holocaust and the need to keep the memory of it alive, so as to prevent any repetition of it. He paid tribute to all those who had suffered or lost their lives during the war and publicly regretted the past mistakes and shortcomings of the Red Cross with regard to the victims of the concentration camps. In 2002, an ICRC official outlined some of the lessons

10710-464: Was given responsibility for the areas that are now the West Bank and Israel . On 12 August 1949, further revisions to the existing two Geneva Conventions were adopted. An additional convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea", now called the second Geneva Convention, was brought under the Geneva Convention umbrella as a successor to

10815-502: Was going to create a fund of a US$ 100 million and give it to those guerrillas who freed the hostages safely. Meanwhile, the children of Ingrid Betancourt were offered by Radio France Internationale (RFI) to make live radio addresses in Spanish to their mother every Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings. President Uribe later added to this that he was still considering a military rescue. On December 8, 2007, President Uribe decided to allow

10920-681: Was scheduled to receive the IRC delegates and the Vice Chancellor for Latin America and the Caribbean, Rodolfo Sanz  [ es ] , in Villavicencio to coordinate the rescue operation. At the end of the first phase Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said: “[I'm] thinking about the freedom of Emmanuel, the child who was conceived by a kidnapped mother, who has been raised kidnapped, a condition worse than

11025-542: Was thus prevented from entering into force before the beginning of World War II. In the Interwar period , Bolivia and Paraguay were disputing possession of the Gran Chaco - a desert region between the two countries. The dispute escalated into a full-scale conflict in 1932. During the war the ICRC visited 18,000 Bolivian prisoners of war and 2,500 Paraguayan detainees. With the help of the ICRC both countries made improvements to

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