OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009

OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009

International Committee of the Red Cross External Resources Division 19 Avenue de la Paix 1202 Geneva, Switzerland T +41 22 734 6001 F +41 22 733 2057 E-mail : [email protected] www.icrc.org © ICRC November 2008

CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ...... 4 INTRODUCTION BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS...... 6 USER GUIDE...... 11 THE ICRC AROUND THE WORLD...... 23 SUMMARY OF BUDGET...... 25 AFRICA...... 27 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ...... 35 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS ...... 40 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA ...... 48 ANNEX ...... 53 THE ICRC’S OPERATIONAL APPROACH TO WOMEN AND GIRLS ...... 53

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 3

ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

A Additional Protocol I Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 Additional Protocol II Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977 Additional Protocol III Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III), 8 December 2005 1977 Additional Protocols Additional Protocols I and II AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome

C CHF Swiss francs Convention on Certain Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Conventional Weapons Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, 10 October 1980

F Fundamental Principles Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, universality

G 1949 Geneva Conventions Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, 12 August 1949 Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, 12 August 1949 Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 12 August 1949 Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 12 August 1949

H Hague Convention on Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Cultural Property Conflict, 14 May 1954 HF high frequency HIV human immunodeficiency virus

I ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross, founded in 1863 IDPs internally displaced people International Federation The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, founded in 1919, works on the basis of the Fundamental Principles, carrying out relief operations in aid of the victims of natural disasters, health emergencies, and poverty brought about by socio-economic crises, and refugees; it combines this with development work to strengthen the capacities of its member National Societies. IHL international humanitarian law IOM International Organization for Migration

K KCHF thousand Swiss francs

M Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement comprises the ICRC, the International Federation and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. These are all independent bodies. Each has its own status and exercises no authority over the others.

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 4 ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

N National Society The National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies embody the Movement’s work and Fundamental Principles in about 180 countries. They act as auxiliaries to the public authorities of their own countries in the humanitarian field and provide a range of services, including disaster relief and health and social programmes. In times of conflict, National Societies assist the affected civilian population and, where appropriate, support the army medical services. NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NGO non-governmental organization

O OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ottawa Convention Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 18 September 1997 Optional Protocol to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Convention on the Rights of involvement of children in armed conflict, 25 May 2000 the Child

P POWs prisoners of war

R RCMs Red Cross messages Rome Statute Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 17 July 1998

S Safer Access approach An approach developed by the ICRC to help National Societies better their response to the needs of conflict victims while enhancing the safety of their workers. San Remo The International Institute of Humanitarian Law, in San Remo, Italy, is a non- governmental organization set up in 1970 to spread knowledge and promote the development of IHL. It specializes in organizing courses on IHL for military personnel from around the world. Seville Agreement The Seville Agreement of 1997 provides a framework for effective cooperation and partnership between the members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Solferino communication A public communication campaign on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of campaign the Battle of Solferino, and thus the beginnings of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This Movement-wide campaign aims to promote humanitarian principles, to emphasize the vulnerability of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and to highlight the challenges facing humanitarian action throughout the world. Study on customary A 5,000-page text that is the outcome of eight years of research by ICRC legal international humanitarian staff and other experts who reviewed State practice in 47 countries and consulted law international sources such as the United Nations and international tribunals.

U UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

V VHF very high frequency

W WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organization

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 5

INTRODUCTION BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

© Thierry Gassmann/ICRC

The ICRC is pleased to present its Emergency Appeals 2009, an overview of its main operational challenges and priori- ties for the coming year in which it analyses the situations encountered by its field delegations and missions in some 80 countries around the world and outlines the corresponding objectives and budgetary requirements. The Emergency Ap- peals set out the organization’s carefully considered plan of action for responding in a targeted manner to the needs of people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, as identified at the time of writing in November 2008.

HUMAN SECURITY AND THE NATURE OF VULNERABILITY IN THE EARLY 21ST CENTURY From a humanitarian perspective, armed conflicts and violence are about people, the risks, vulnerabilities and suffering they are exposed to, and about the action that must be taken to prevent, mitigate or put an end to that suffering. While this appears to be stating the obvious, it is crucial for the ICRC always to keep the plight of individuals and communi- ties at the forefront of its analysis and action. This implies understanding the multiple factors that affect people’s safety and well-being, and comprehending the pro- found physical and psychological scars that armed violence leaves on those who survive it. Historically, the focus of humanitarian action has been on saving the lives of people directly affected by fighting: the wounded, endangered civil- ians, IDPs fleeing the battle zone, and detainees who risk ill-treatment or disappearance. Any response to the immediate survival needs of people at risk must have this focus. The following excerpt from one ICRC delegation’s planning document poignantly illustrates the multiple ways in which conflict heightens people’s vulnerability: “(…) most of the violations of IHL led to individual and massive displacements, compelling civilians to flee for their lives, to abandon their communities, homes, and lands and generated fear of reprisals, social segregation, uncertainty about the future and increased vulnerability. Victims of direct military attacks, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 6 INTRODUCTION weapon contamination had to face serious physical consequences such as temporary/permanent disability, disease, un- wanted pregnancy and stigmatization. They also had to deal with the psychological consequences of the events, such as nightmares, depression, mental disorders”. Armed conflicts also have indirect effects, the result of: prolonged restriction of movement and diverse forms of hu- miliation; steady deterioration in health and sanitation conditions in and around conflict zones that leads to deaths from largely preventable illnesses and communicable diseases; and the lack of access to safe water, arable land, basic ser- vices or humanitarian assistance. In addition to these direct and indirect physical consequences, armed conflicts have an impact on people’s mental health and safety. Again, the priority, the essence of humanitarian action, is to save lives, and to make a real difference in ef- forts to reduce human suffering. In its endeavours to integrate the multiple perspectives of conflict victims, the ICRC has realized what a potent impact lasting trauma can have on people’s coping and survival mechanisms, whether in the context of chronic crises or in terms of their ability to resume or restore livelihoods and focus on the future, once the conflict has come to an end. It is also worth noting that, although the rural population remains the focus of humanitarian attention in many contexts, from Darfur, , to eastern Chad, from the Philippines to Sri Lanka, in other places, such as Baghdad, or Port-au-Prince, the spotlight is tending to shift more and more to the needs of populations affected by urban forms of conflict and violence.

THE NATURE OF CONFLICTS: CHANGING TRENDS AND ENVIRONMENTS The 21st century has witnessed the emergence of armed conflicts and other situations of violence that tend to be less ideological than in the past. The polarization that marked the Cold War period saw a clash of competing world views, the ever-present risk of nuclear disaster and a range of confrontations by proxy, primarily in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In contrast, today’s conflicts are increasingly economic in nature and revolve primarily around competition for access to critical energy resources. They may also have tribal, ethnic or religious dimensions, and may be characterized by the coexistence of political and non-political players, in particular armed groups whose raison d’être tends to switch from banditry to land ownership and a stake in the nation’s wealth redistribution. One of the most striking features of today’s conflicts and situations of violence is the coexistence of multiple factors and their overlapping impact on populations at risk. For example, the juxtaposition of a weak State, collapsing infra- structure and open hostilities among a mix of politically driven players and criminal groups, on the one hand, and envi- ronmental degradation, drought, floods or pandemics, on the other, renders entire populations extremely vulnerable and makes it particularly difficult to define an appropriate response in humanitarian terms. These trends also contribute to dramatic displacement crises as people flee intense combat, threats from other communi- ties, electoral or gang violence, and other dangers. The displaced may be taken in by residents in other parts of the country or become part of mass migration movements to major urban centres or of perilous cross-border movements in search of security in other lands. There were few wars between States in 2008, the exceptions being the conflicts in Georgia and between Eritrea and Djibouti. The number of very complex non-international armed conflicts involving a plethora of actors remained high. They confirmed the marked influence of armed groups. Such groups are often unstable and have a tendency to fragment into splinter groups and regroup under new commands. In 2008, as in recent years, several armed groups were engaged in a confrontation on a global scale with a number of States. This showed itself in several countries mainly in acts of “terrorism” or “counter-terrorism”.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT ICRC OPERATIONS The ICRC further consolidated the added value of its neutral and independent humanitarian action in several critical contexts in 2008, obtaining greater access and extending its operational reach in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Sahel region and , and holding steady under very demanding conditions in contexts such as the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Yemen. The setbacks it experienced in 2007 in and Myanmar remained unresolved 12 months on, despite sus- tained dialogue with the authorities concerned in these contexts. Thanks to its commitment and resolve, the ICRC was able to shoulder the combined pressures of a demanding initial overall field budget of CHF 933 million and of 13 separate budget extensions amounting to CHF 143 million for opera- tions in Afghanistan, the DRC, Georgia, Kenya (Nairobi regional delegation), Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation (Moscow regional delegation), the Sahel region, Senegal (Dakar regional delegation), Somalia, Su- dan, Yemen and Zimbabwe (Harare regional delegation). It thus confirmed its ability to maintain a broad and meaning- ful scope of action and to adapt to changing needs in the course of the year.

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In 2008, the rapid deployment and response approach adopted in 2007 was successfully activated in Kenya (January), Myanmar (May) and Georgia (August). Aspects of the approach that proved to be especially effective and relevant in- clude the human resource roster (activation and quality), speedier decision-making dynamics from initial assessment to preliminary appeal, implementation and rapid learning of lessons. The validity of the ICRC’s individual and collective networking efforts, which consist of engaging in dialogue with a wide range of State and other actors, was apparent in a variety of contexts. Its ongoing investment in dialogue with di- verse protagonists throughout the Muslim world again proved effective. Greater attention was also paid to dialogue with key and emerging influential State players.

KEY CHALLENGES FOR THE ICRC IN 2009 The ICRC will focus on two key operational challenges in 2009: to obtain a clear understanding of the diversity of situations in which it works and their specific nature, and to provide a meaningful response to the multitude of needs faced by the people affected. Access and proximity The fundamental challenge for the ICRC remains to obtain access to populations or individuals affected by an armed conflict or another situation of violence. The ICRC is about making a real difference, about saving lives by means of a context- and needs-based response. For this, proximity to the people affected is critical but never guaranteed. Security considerations play a fundamental role in this regard. It is increasingly apparent that proximity means both physical closeness (which in 2009 will signify more decentralized offices and staff) and genuine receptiveness to and under- standing of realities and vulnerabilities. It means accepting diversity and being able to interact without preconceived ideas or notions. It implies concern for people and their individual dignity, sensitivity and generosity in addressing their needs. Perception, acceptance and dialogue with all The issues of perception and acceptance are related factors. They are influenced by the quality and perceived relevance of ICRC activities in favour of people affected by conflict, by the credibility of the organization’s efforts to seek respect for the rules of IHL and by the discipline with which it adheres to its fundamental principles. They are also influenced by the quality of the dialogue it has with all those engaged in or in a position to influence situations of armed conflict and other situations of violence. These parameters are of particular importance in view of the growing perception among many stakeholders and actors in conflict zones of the gap between the stated intentions of the humanitarian community at large and its actual field- based capacity and impact. Safeguarding the essence of neutral and independent humanitarian action The humanitarian sector in general continues to evolve in many ways, both in the context of UN reform and as a result of the consolidation in several countries of the so-called comprehensive approaches, which see humanitarian action and means firmly embedded in military strategy. The ICRC’s commitment to demonstrate the specific added value of neutral and independent humanitarian action and the relevance of IHL therefore remains an important factor in today’s conflict environments. Together with its National Society partners, the ICRC seeks to stay focused on having a real impact on populations in conflict zones across the world. Insofar as possible, it also seeks to ensure that it does what it says it will do. Focusing on operational and security management Access possibilities and operational impact continue to be tightly linked to security parameters. Ensuring operational reach often implies daily exposure to multiple risks, in a global context in which humanitarian agencies and staff are in- creasingly targeted. In 2008, the ICRC experienced serious security incidents in Chad, Pakistan and Sudan. In addition, Afghanistan, Colombia, the DRC, Iraq, the Philippines, the Sahel region, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Yemen, and several other sensitive contexts required particularly attentive management and monitoring in security terms. This implies tak- ing nothing for granted and clearly recognizing the inherent fragility of operations in many contexts. There is much that requires better understanding, consolidation and improvement from a security standpoint. Most worrying in 2008 was the number of humanitarian workers killed in conflict zones, notably Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan. Humanitarian action appears to be rejected with growing frequency by a wide range of armed groups, for a variety of reasons that range from political opportunism to the perception that humanitarian work is part of a broader political and military agenda. Attacks on humanitarian workers have become so numerous that they raise the spectre of a profound crisis for humanitarian action in general. The ICRC has opted to maintain decentralized security management, through its broad network of national and interna- tional staff.

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A truly universal anchorage More generally, the ICRC must now become truly universal in its thinking and action. It is vital that it understand not only local situations but also how different regional and global players perceive crisis situations across the globe and understand humanitarian dynamics. The approach it has advocated over the past five years – to take into account the in- teraction between local, regional and global dimensions – becomes even more important when considered in this light. In addition, the ICRC must manage to secure a more profound and genuine anchorage in the various regions of the world. Its objective is to lay deeper roots and become even more able to adapt to the realities and needs of different con- texts. Scope of action and multidisciplinary response The ICRC continues to strive, as it must, to sustain a broad scope of action and a multidisciplinary response capacity. This encompasses the notion of a centre of gravity in zones of armed conflict and other situations of violence, ICRC ac- tion in early recovery and transition phases and when natural disaster strikes in conflict-affected regions, as well as readiness to explore the outer rims of urban-type mixed political-criminal situations, with a view to learning for the fu- ture. It requires a diversified set of reaction capacities, from rapid response to dealing with the effects of chronic crises and livelihood restoration. It also requires new capacities, which the ICRC has developed in the fields of protection, health, weapon contamination and forensics. Sound planning, strategy formulation and implementation call for effective pro- gramme integration and mode-of-action combination. The broad range of services that the ICRC can deploy today, either alone or in conjunction with National Societies, in principle allows it greater flexibility in defining a context-relevant and vulnerability-based response. This has signifi- cant implications in terms of staff profile and logistics, and represents an ongoing management challenge for senior field staff. Managing a broad scope of action also entails a responsibility to focus and prioritize, notably when it comes to preven- tion and cooperation activities. The same applies to the ability to downsize rapidly (e.g. Kenya following the post- election violence) and responsibly where the ICRC’s presence is no longer needed in the same magnitude (Angola, Bu- dapest regional delegation, Congo, Sierra Leone). Coordination and partnerships The ICRC has mainstreamed its coordination approach – reality-based and action-oriented – with other humanitarian actors. This reflects recognition on its part of the importance of sustained and predictable interaction, notably with Movement partners, key UN agencies and NGOs in the humanitarian sector. ICRC teams in the field and units at headquarters spend significant amounts of time in consultation and coordination with other organizations operating in the same contexts and sharing similar objectives. The organization will continue to identify operational and institutional partnerships with other Movement components, both National Societies and the In- ternational Federation, and with individual UN agencies and NGOs. A central feature of the ICRC’s interaction with National Societies working in their own countries has been its increas- ingly strategic nature. National Societies seek a more assertive role in the response to needs in their country. They also seek better acknowledgement of their contribution and capacities on the part of the ICRC. In 2009, the ICRC will pro- ceed with its priority partnerships in a range of contexts, from Afghanistan to Colombia, the DRC, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan, to name but a few, where cooperation has become a constituent component of the overall capacity to address needs effectively. This approach reflects the joint commitment of the International Federation and the ICRC to invest in and demonstrate the Movement’s added value within the broader humanitarian community. Budget features and operational priorities in 2009 The present document contains an initial appeal for CHF 996.9 million to cover ICRC field activities in 2009. A central feature of the ICRC’s 2009 budget – as was the case a year ago – is that it reflects the organization’s current level of operational engagement worldwide. The budget is CHF 64 million higher than the initial 2008 budget and as such the single largest ICRC field budget since 2000. It is CHF 15 million higher than the 2008 level of expenditure, es- timated at CHF 982 million at the time of writing. It is important to note that the increase in expenditure between 2007 and 2008 reflected in the 2009 initial budget results from improved access and stepped up activities in certain critical conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Chad, the DRC, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia and Sudan (Darfur). Indeed, the ICRC is determined to present overall field ob- jectives and a related budget that reflect its commitment to providing a meaningful response wherever hostilities break out. As such, the 2009 increase corresponds to greater medical and IDP-related needs in several contexts.

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Also of relevance is the impact of the oil, food and financial crises on the security and well-being of the population in several regions and countries already affected by conflict or violence, notably in Latin America, North and sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The 10 largest operations worldwide will be: Sudan (CHF 102.8 million), Iraq (CHF 95.9 million), Afghanistan (CHF 73.1 million), Israel and the Occupied and Autonomous Territories (CHF 67.3 million), the DRC (CHF 52.9 million), Somalia (CHF 50.0 million), Colombia (CHF 38.6 million), Chad (CHF 31.7 million), Sri Lanka (CHF 27.8 million) and Pakistan (CHF 24.2 million).

CONCLUSION The dizzying pace of global change and its multiple effects on people’s safety, integrity, dignity and livelihoods place the ICRC and its 12,000 staff under steady pressure. The ability to make a difference depends on several things: the ca- pacity to analyse and anticipate trends, readiness to adapt to change throughout the year and to take risks to reach popu- lations, competence, creativity and determination on the part of ICRC staff in the field, and acceptance and understand- ing on the part of a multiplicity of stakeholders. It also requires – and this is essential – donor support: from governments, National Societies, civil society and the pri- vate sector. The ICRC is immensely grateful for the donors’ support and confidence in a year that saw several fresh emergencies arise and persistent conflicts require ongoing attention. It cannot emphasized enough the extend to which their generos- ity and trust have played a central role in enabling the ICRC to live up to its responsibilities. In return, the ICRC has in- vested in a range of efforts, from reporting to evaluations, to ensure a high level of transparency on how it makes its de- cisions and uses the funds received. The ICRC firmly believes that it has a duty to make a difference for people affected by armed conflict. It will not allow the manifold problems and constraints standing in its way to undermine its steadfast determination to discharge that re- sponsibility.

Pierre Krähenbühl Director of Operations

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USER GUIDE

ICRC operational framework ICRC field structure Modes of action Regional breakdown Levels of intervention Operations worldwide Result-based management

Target populations Contributions

Levels of earmarking Programme descriptions Contributions in kind Protection Contributions in services Assistance

Prevention Cooperation with National Societies Description of the accounting model General Overview Overheads Cost type accounting Contingency Conclusion

ICRC OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK MODES OF ACTION The ICRC endeavours to respond to the humanitarian The modes of action used by the ICRC depend on the needs engendered by today’s complex armed conflicts situation, the problems encountered and the objectives to and other situations of violence in the most timely, human be achieved. and professional way possible. Each situation thus re- quires thorough analysis, a sensitive but objective assess- X Persuasion: confidential representations addressed to ment of the needs and human suffering, and the design the authorities and aimed at convincing them to en- and implementation of specific and efficient humanitarian hance respect for IHL and/or other fundamental rules responses. protecting persons in situations of violence and to take measures which improve the circumstances of people Today more than ever, situations have to be considered affected by such situations holistically, in a way that integrates local, regional and X Support: activities aimed at providing assistance to global elements and takes into account the broad range of the authorities so that they are better able to carry out problems and needs of the populations the ICRC wants to their functions and fulfil their responsibilities help. It is important as well to ensure the coherence of ICRC activities both in the medium and long term. To this X Direct services/substitution: activities to provide di- end, the ICRC works with a dynamic network of multid- rect services to people in need, often in place of au- isciplinary teams composed of both specialists and gen- thorities who are not able or not willing to do so eral staff who are led and coordinated by competent man- X Mobilization: activities aimed at prevailing on third agement with clear policies and priorities. Effective moni- parties to influence the behaviour or action of the au- toring and critical evaluation, drawing on lessons learned thorities, to support them, or to provide direct services from past experience, are also crucial to this process, as is to people in need coordination with the numerous actors present on the in- X Denunciation (resorted to by the ICRC only in ex- creasingly complex humanitarian scene. ceptional circumstances and under strict condi- The ICRC operational framework is characterized by a tions): public declarations regarding violations of IHL diverse range of activities requiring varied skills and ex- or other fundamental rules protecting persons in situa- pertise, a focus on different target populations, and the tions of violence committed by specific actors, for the strategic use of various modes of action at different levels purpose of bringing a halt to such violations or pre- of intervention. venting their reoccurrence

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LEVELS OF INTERVENTION come into play: some man-made, others occurring naturally The activities carried out under the ICRC’s programmes are conducted at the following complementary levels to TARGET POPULATIONS reach common objectives in aid of the affected popula- tions: In setting its objectives, the ICRC has drawn up a stan- X preventing or alleviating the immediate effects of dard list of seven target groups, divided into two broad an emerging or established pattern of abuse or prob- categories. These are defined as follows: lem (responsive action) i) Affected populations/persons are individuals or X restoring dignified living conditions through reha- segments of the population suffering the direct and/or bilitation, restitution and reparation (remedial action) indirect effects of a confirmed or emerging situation X fostering a social, cultural, institutional and legal of armed conflict or violence, who do not or no environment conducive to full respect for IHL and/or longer take a direct part in the hostilities or violence. other fundamental rules protecting persons in situa- The aim of ICRC action for such people is to ensure tions of violence (environment-building action) that they are respected and protected and to alleviate the suffering caused by the situation, in accordance RESULT-BASED MANAGEMENT with the provisions of IHL and internationally ac- cepted standards. The ICRC distinguishes between At least once a year, on the basis of an analysis of the three different groups of people: given situation and of the humanitarian issues, the ICRC ■ civilians: defines objectives and plans of action for the coming year all people who do not take a direct part in hostili- for each context in which it operates. The plans of action ties or violence but whose physical or mental in- describe how the ICRC aims to work towards the objec- tegrity and dignity are either threatened or affected tives in question. Changes in situations and humanitarian during a conflict or another situation of violence issues may require objectives and plans of action to be re- ■ people deprived of their freedom: vised during the year. Objectives and plans of action are all individuals deprived of their freedom in con- organized according to target populations and list activi- nection with a situation of armed conflict or vio- ties according to programme (see descriptions below). lence, such as prisoners of war, civilian internees The accounting system is structured accordingly (see de- and security detainees scription below). ■ the wounded and sick: ICRC Appeals provide donors with information about people injured or suffering from disease in a situa- these objectives and plans of action and their correspond- tion of armed conflict or violence ing budget. ii) Then there are influential individuals or institutions The ICRC also produces an Annual Report, which pro- that, because of their roles and functions, may di- vides information – descriptive, quantitative and financial rectly or indirectly take action to curb, avoid or put an – regarding those objectives and plans of action. end to violations of IHL or other fundamental rules Whenever possible the reporting is result-oriented. It in- protecting persons in situations of violence, and pro- cludes a description of the products and services resulting tect or aid those affected when humanitarian prob- from processes that use a combination of resources, and lems arise. The ICRC endeavours to persuade them to their effect or results at output, outcome or impact level. take action, in the manner most conducive to promot- ing full respect for those fundamental rules and to en- The ICRC works according to the following definitions of suring that the people in need receive protection and the terminology used, adopted on the basis of a common assistance. This second broad category comprises the understanding in existing literature: following: X input: resources that enable a person/organization to ■ the authorities: do something political decision-makers (civil, administrative or X activity: any action or process legislative authorities, whether official or unoffi- X output: the products, capital goods and services that cial) are generated by an activity, including changes result- ■ armed forces and other weapon bearers: ing from the activity that are expected to lead to the armed, police and security forces, and all State and achievement of outcomes non-State actors involved in armed violence X outcome: the likely, or achieved, medium-term (1–5 ■ civil society: year) effects of the output of one or several activities the public at large, representatives of civil society or interventions or other actors exerting influence, such as the me- X impact: positive and negative, primary and secondary, dia, associations of various kinds, NGOs, religious long-term effects produced by interventions (a combi- authorities or opinion-makers, economic entities, nation of factors), directly or indirectly, intended or young people, university students and academic unintended. The ICRC, as any other actor, is likely institutions only to contribute to an impact. Many factors will

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■ the Movement: sponding budgets are designed in such a way as to cater besides the ICRC, the Movement comprises the solely to one or another of the specific groups described National Societies and their International Federa- above. Donors wishing to help the ICRC manage contri- tion. There is a National Society in almost every butions to its programmes in the most efficient way pos- country in the world, carrying out humanitarian sible are referred to the proposed criteria for levels of services for the benefit of the community. For the earmarking set out in the “Contributions” section of this ICRC, the existence of a local partner in each chapter. country is a valuable asset and one of the distin- In late 2001, the ICRC launched the “Missing” project to guishing features of cooperation within the heighten awareness of the tragic fate of people who are Movement unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict and other Particular concerns situations of violence and to seek ways of alleviating the anguish suffered by their families. In the wake of the In- The ICRC devotes particular attention to certain individ- ternational Conference of Governmental and Non- ual characteristics and situations which further increase Governmental Experts on the missing and their families, vulnerability. As the civilian population becomes increas- convened by the ICRC in Geneva in February 2003, and ingly caught up in armed conflicts, specific problems may the pledge made at the 28th International Conference of engender or exacerbate vulnerability among women, chil- the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December 2003, op- dren, the elderly or minorities. erational guidelines have been established to prevent dis- As warring parties fight for territorial control, more and appearances and to respond to the needs and suffering of more civilians are displaced. Forced displacement could the families left behind. They are currently being imple- aim to weaken enemy forces by targeting communities mented on the ground by the relevant ICRC delegations considered to be supportive of them, or to facilitate ap- worldwide. Moreover, the ICRC continues to heighten propriation of property or access natural resources. Inter- concern about the issue of missing persons and their rela- nally displaced people are those compelled to flee their tives among governments, NGOs, UN agencies and rele- homes, leaving most of their personal belongings behind, vant segments of civil society and to emphasize the im- often to resettle in over-populated areas in conditions of portance of addressing and ultimately resolving the issue. extreme poverty, without gainful employment and seldom having the benefit of services such as a clean water sup- PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONS ply, sewage systems, health care or education. Children are not spared in conflict, as they not only rep- PROTECTION resent a large segment of the population but are also more In order to preserve the lives, security, dignity and physi- vulnerable than adults. They should benefit both from the cal and mental well-being of people adversely affected by general protection guaranteed by law as people not taking armed conflict and other situations of violence, the ICRC a direct part in hostilities and from specific protection as a has adopted a protection approach that aims to ensure that particularly vulnerable group (children are covered by 25 the authorities and other players involved fulfil their obli- articles in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 gations and uphold the rights of individuals protected by Additional Protocols). Yet three out of every five war vic- law. It also tries to prevent and/or put an end to actual or tims assisted by the ICRC are children. They are often the probable violations of IHL and other bodies of law pro- powerless witnesses of atrocities committed against their tecting people in such situations. The protection approach relatives. Many of them are killed, wounded or impris- focuses both on the causes or circumstances of violations, oned, torn from their families, forcibly recruited into targeting those responsible and those who can influence combat, compelled to flee or left without even an identity. them, and on the consequences of the violations. Women and girls mostly experience armed conflict as Protection programmes cover all activities designed to en- civilians, and as such are often exposed to acts of vio- sure protection of the victims of armed conflicts and other lence. Such acts include death or injury from indiscrimi- situations of violence. The beneficiaries are resident and nate attacks and mine explosions, but also direct assaults. displaced civilians, people deprived of their freedom (in Sexual violence, including rape, is widespread and often particular prisoners of war, security detainees, internees used as a method of warfare against the civilian popula- and other vulnerable people), people separated from their tion, with women and girls as the main victims. In addi- relatives by conflict, violence or other circumstances, tion, the loss of male relatives, deprivation of access to such as natural disasters or migration, and missing people the basic means of survival and health care makes women and their families. and girls vulnerable. It is therefore imperative to under- stand in which way, owing to their status and role in a As a neutral and independent humanitarian organization, given context, women and girls are affected by a situation the ICRC seeks to ensure that all the parties to a conflict of violence and how best humanitarian programmes can and all authorities provide individuals and groups with the contribute to alleviating their plight. full respect and protection that are due to them under IHL and other fundamental rules protecting persons in situa- As the ICRC aims to provide a comprehensive response tions of violence. In response to violations of these rules, to all populations affected by armed conflict or violence, the ICRC endeavours, as much as possible through con- neither its programmes (protection, assistance, prevention structive and confidential dialogue, to encourage the au- and cooperation with National Societies) nor their corre- thorities concerned to take corrective action and to pre-

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 13 USER GUIDE vent any recurrence. Delegations monitor the situation X monitoring individuals and communities who are par- and the treatment of the civilian population and persons ticularly vulnerable and/or exposed to serious risks of deprived of their freedom, discuss their findings with the abuse, and reducing their exposure to those risks authorities concerned, recommend measures and conduct follow-up activities. Restoring family links Respect for persons deprived of their freedom These activities aim to restore or maintain contact be- tween members of families, including people deprived of The objective of the ICRC’s activities for persons de- their freedom, who have been separated by an armed con- prived of their freedom is purely humanitarian, namely to flict, another situation of violence or in relation with a ensure that their physical and mental integrity is fully re- natural disaster, with a view to relieving their mental an- spected and that their conditions of detention are in line guish. This involves in particular: with IHL and/or internationally recognized standards. As X forwarding family news (through various means, such circumstances dictate, the ICRC strives to prevent forced as RCMs, radio broadcasts, the telephone and the disappearances or extrajudicial executions, ill-treatment Internet) via the worldwide Red Cross and Red Cres- and failure to respect fundamental judicial guarantees, cent network (National Societies and ICRC delega- and, whenever necessary, takes action to improve condi- tions) tions of detention. This involves in particular: X tracing persons separated from their families, in par- X negotiating with the authorities to obtain access to ticular unaccompanied and separated children, includ- persons deprived of their freedom wherever they may ing demobilized child soldiers be held, in accordance with procedures that guarantee X collecting information on detentions, disappearances the effectiveness and consistency of ICRC action and deaths, collecting tracing requests from the fami- X visiting all detainees, assessing their conditions of de- lies of missing people and submitting them to the tention and identifying any shortcomings and humani- relevant authorities for clarification tarian needs X organizing repatriations and family reunifications X monitoring individual detainees (for specific protec- X facilitating family visits to detainees or across front tion, medical or other purposes) lines X maintaining family links (such as facilitating family X issuing ICRC travel documents for people who, owing visits or forwarding RCMs) to a conflict, do not or no longer have identity papers X under specific conditions, providing material and and are about to be repatriated or resettled in a third medical relief supplies to detainees or engaging in co- country operation on specific projects with the detaining au- thorities Missing persons X fostering a confidential and meaningful dialogue with Activities for missing persons are intended to shed light the authorities at all levels regarding any problems of on the fate and/or whereabouts of people who are unac- a humanitarian nature that may arise counted for as a consequence of an armed conflict or Visits to places of detention are carried out by the ICRC other situation of violence, and thereby respond to the suf- in accordance with strict conditions: fering caused to their relatives by the uncertainty sur- rounding their fate. This involves promoting and support- X delegates must be provided with full and unimpeded ing mechanisms to help clarify the fate of missing per- access to all detainees falling within the ICRC’s man- sons, including the collection and management of infor- date and to all places where they are held mation and the recovery and identification of human re- X delegates must be able to hold private interviews with mains, facilitating dialogue between the authorities and the detainees of their choice the families of missing people, and responding to the lat- X delegates must be able to repeat their visits ter’s needs. X detainees falling within the ICRC’s mandate must be notified individually to the ICRC, and the ICRC must ASSISTANCE be able to draw up lists of their names The aim of assistance is to preserve life and/or restore the Respect for civilians dignity of individuals or communities adversely affected by an armed conflict or other situation of violence. Assis- Protection activities for the civilian population are in- tance activities address the consequences of violations of tended to ensure that individuals and groups not or no IHL and other bodies of law that protect people. They longer taking a direct part in hostilities are fully respected may also tackle the causes and circumstances of such vio- and protected, in accordance with IHL or other fundamen- lations by reducing risk exposure. tal rules protecting persons in situations of violence. This involves in particular: Assistance programmes are designed to preserve or re- store acceptable living conditions for people affected by X engaging in dialogue with the relevant parties at all armed conflict or other situations of violence, to enable levels to discuss humanitarian issues and to remind them to maintain an adequate standard of living in their them of their legal obligations respective social and cultural context until their basic needs are met by the authorities or through their own

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 14 USER GUIDE means. The beneficiaries are primarily resident or dis- pre-hospital care (first aid and medical evacuations), placed civilians, vulnerable groups such as minorities and emergency hospital care, hospital management, basic the families of people who are unaccounted for, the sick health care, mother and child care and support for vic- and the wounded (both military and civilian) and people tims of sexual violence deprived of their freedom. X negotiating with the authorities in order to guarantee Economic security safe access to quality health care for the affected population and a safe working environment for medi- Economic security programmes are designed to ensure cal personnel that households and communities have access to the ser- vices and resources required to meet their essential eco- Forensic services nomic needs, as defined by their physical condition and Forensic services provide support for the implementation social and cultural environment. In practice, this translates of the recommendations pertaining to the forensic sci- into three different types of intervention: ences and human remains adopted by the 2003 Interna- X relief interventions: to protect lives and livelihoods tional Conference on the Missing. They include: by providing persons in need with the goods and/or X providing operational support, including in the form of services essential for their survival when they can no evaluations, to ICRC field operations on all matters longer obtain these through their own means related to human remains and the forensic sciences X production interventions: to protect or enhance a X providing training and advice on best practices in the household’s or community’s asset base – its means of forensic sciences as they relate to the search for the production – so that it can maintain or recover its live- missing, including in natural disasters lihood X spreading knowledge of and promoting those best X structural interventions: to protect livelihoods by in- practices fluencing processes, institutions and policies that have X developing tools, including for the collection and a direct impact on a target population’s capacity to management of information maintain its livelihood over time (such as agricultural or livestock services) X developing guidelines, manuals and publications to empower investigations into cases of missing persons Water and habitat X carrying out forensic case-work in ICRC operational Water and habitat programmes are designed to ensure ac- contexts that require it cess to water (for both drinking and household use) and to Weapon contamination a safe living environment. The ICRC, together with National Red Cross and Red In situations of acute crisis, infrastructure may have been Crescent Societies, implements activities aimed at reduc- damaged by fighting and basic services may not work or ing the impact of weapon contamination on communities be inaccessible. People may be forced to leave their living in contaminated areas. The response provided is homes to look for water in a hostile environment. By adapted to each individual situation and can comprise a monitoring the situation and implementing projects when range of activities that seek to define the scope of the and where necessary, in both urban and rural contexts, the problem, facilitate a flexible and effective response and ICRC ensures access to water and safe environmental take into account the activities of others in this field. sanitation conditions, and promotes basic health care by More specifically, this involves: taking emergency action and supporting existing facili- ties. X providing policy guidance and technical support on weapon contamination issues to National Societies In emerging crises, chronic crises and post-crisis situa- and representing the Movement internationally on tions, the priority is to support and strengthen existing these matters structures through initiatives taken in conjunction with the X working with protection, economic security and water authorities and/or through specific programmes that meet and habitat programmes to ensure that weapon con- the needs of the population in a viable, sustainable man- tamination as a potential source of vulnerability is in- ner. cluded in assessments and programme planning Health services X supporting National Society capacity building and the integration of National Societies into national mine- Health-related activities are designed to give people af- action capability fected by an armed conflict or other situations of violence access to appropriate preventive and curative health care X deploying a rapid response capacity to ICRC delega- that meets universally recognized standards, a task which tions in emergencies where weapon contamination entails assisting local or regional health services and poses a threat to the ICRC and/or the population sometimes stepping in for them on a temporary basis. X contributing globally to the development of interna- This involves in particular: tional mine-action policy, methodologies and systems X implementing activities, supporting existing struc- Physical rehabilitation tures, organizations and programmes or mobilizing others in order to foster access to health care, espe- Physical rehabilitation projects are designed to provide cially in the following key areas: health in detention, physically disabled people with prosthetic/orthotic appli-

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 15 USER GUIDE ances so that they can recover their mobility and play an which arise as a result of technological progress and the active role in society. This involves in particular: changing nature of armed conflict. At the same time, the X manufacturing prosthetic/orthotic appliances and ICRC furthers the development of customary international components humanitarian law by encouraging constructive State prac- tice. This involves in particular: X providing national technicians with theoretical and practical training in accordance with recognized stan- X taking part in meetings of experts and diplomatic con- dards ferences held to develop new treaties or other legal in- struments, and formulating bilateral and multilateral X engaging in dialogue with the authorities, especially initiatives to promote their acceptance by governments on questions concerning the handover and continua- and relevant organizations tion of projects X monitoring new developments, carrying out studies, PREVENTION organizing meetings of experts and drafting proposals The aim of prevention is to foster an environment that is Communication conducive to respect for the lives and dignity of those The following complementary communication approaches who may be adversely affected by an armed conflict or constitute a key component of preventive action and fa- other situation of violence, and that is favourable to the cilitate ICRC access to the victims of armed conflict and work of the ICRC. The approach has a medium- to long- violence: term outlook and aims to prevent suffering by influencing X public communication which aims to inform and mo- those who have a direct or indirect impact on the fate of bilize key stakeholders on priority humanitarian issues people affected by such situations, and/or who can influ- and to promote greater understanding of and support ence the ICRC’s ability to gain access to these persons for IHL and the work of the ICRC and operate efficiently in their favour. In particular, the prevention approach involves communicating, develop- X processes to scan the humanitarian environment at the ing, clarifying and promoting the implementation of IHL global, regional and local levels with a view to identi- and other applicable bodies of law, and promoting accep- fying, understanding and addressing perceptions and tance of the ICRC's work. issues having an impact on the ICRC’s ability to oper- ate Implementation of IHL X developing and implementing strategies to influence Implementation activities aim to promote the universal the attitudes and actions of political authorities or ratification of humanitarian treaties and the adoption by weapon bearers States of legislative, administrative and practical meas- X developing communication strategies and tools to mo- ures and mechanisms to give effect to these instruments at bilize key target groups – such as leaders and opinion- national level. It is also important to ascertain that pro- makers – in favour of respect for IHL and acceptance posals to develop domestic laws do not undermine exist- of ICRC action on behalf of victims of armed conflict ing IHL norms. Implementation activities also aim to fos- X supporting the implementation of the youth education ter compliance with IHL during armed conflicts and to programme – Exploring Humanitarian Law – to help ensure that national authorities, international organiza- young people embrace humanitarian principles and the tions, the armed forces and other bearers of weapons cor- social and legal norms intended to protect life and rectly understand the law applicable in such situations. human dignity This involves in particular: X reinforcing links with academic circles to consolidate X promoting humanitarian treaties among the relevant a network of IHL experts and developing partnerships authorities by making representations to governments, with institutes and research centres specializing in IHL providing training in IHL and drafting technical X responding to public information requests on humani- documents and guidelines to further national imple- tarian norms, issues and action in situations of armed mentation conflict X providing technical advice and support for the imple- X producing – and translating into a range of languages mentation of IHL, undertaking studies and carrying – print, audio-visual and web-based communication out technical assessments of the compatibility of na- materials to support and communicate the ICRC's ac- tional legislation with this body of law tivities X translating existing IHL and human rights texts and materials into different languages Weapons issues X encouraging and helping authorities to integrate IHL The ICRC pays particular attention to promoting meas- into the doctrine, education and training of national ures to restrict or prohibit the use of weapons that have armed, police and security forces, and into the training indiscriminate effects or cause superfluous injury or un- and education programmes for future leaders and necessary suffering. This includes promoting the applica- opinion-makers in universities and schools tion of existing IHL norms on the use of weapons and the development, when appropriate, of additional norms in Development of IHL response to the field realities witnessed by the ICRC or These activities aim to promote the adoption of new trea- the emergence of new technology. It involves in particu- ties to make IHL more effective and to respond to needs lar:

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X making representations to governments and other X promoting IHL and spreading knowledge of the weapon bearers Movement’s principles, ideals and activities among X providing an IHL perspective on weapons issues in both internal and external target groups national and international forums X preparing for and providing health care and relief ser- X holding meetings of military, legal, technical and for- vices in situations of conflict and internal strife eign affairs experts to consider, inter alia, issues relat- X restoring family links through the worldwide Red ing to emerging weapons technology and the impact in Cross/Red Crescent tracing network according to the humanitarian terms of the use of certain weapons newly adopted Restoring Family Links Strategy for X promoting the full and faithful implementation of trea- the Movement and its corresponding implementation ties such as the Ottawa Convention and the Conven- plan tion on Certain Conventional Weapons, and providing X developing activities to prevent the risks of weapon IHL perspectives in meetings on relevant arms treaties contamination X supporting National Societies in relevant legal mat- COOPERATION WITH NATIONAL SOCIETIES ters, such as recognizing or reconstituting a National Society, drawing up or amending statutes, and prepar- The aim of cooperation is to increase the operational ca- ing for the Movement’s statutory meetings pabilities of the National Societies, above all in countries affected or likely to be affected by armed conflict or other The National Society remains responsible for designing, situations of violence. It further aims to increase the managing, implementing and monitoring all the activities ICRC’s ability to interact with National Societies and it carries out. The ICRC facilitates the implementation of work in partnership with them. The cooperation approach planned activities by: aims to optimize the Movement’s humanitarian work by X providing National Societies with technical expertise making the best use of complementary mandates and X making available material and financial assistance in skills in operational matters such as protection, assistance order to help National Societies to fulfil their humani- and prevention. It involves drawing up and implementing tarian role in situations of armed conflict and internal the policies of the Movement that are adopted during its strife statutory meetings and building the capacities of the Na- tional Societies, helping them to adhere at all times to the X mobilizing support from sister National Societies and Fundamental Principles. retaining a monitoring and support role with respect to the achievement of agreed objectives The ICRC shares its expertise with the National Societies X seconding ICRC delegates to National Societies so in their domestic and international activities. It does this that they can exercise executive, managerial or sup- by: port responsibilities in areas agreed with the National X strengthening both the National Societies’ capacity to Society take action and provide appropriate services in times of armed conflict and other situations of violence in Whatever form the ICRC’s support takes, it is offered in their own country and the ICRC’s action and opera- the spirit of a mutually beneficial partnership. In this re- tional capacity through its interaction and partnership gard, the ICRC aims to enhance preparedness and re- with National Societies sponse by optimizing complementarity and strengthening the global Movement network. Written agreements be- X promoting operational partnerships with National So- tween the ICRC and each National Society ensure that the cieties in their own countries and with those working objectives are clear to each partner and that the working internationally in order to respond to the needs of relationship is based on a common understanding of re- people affected by conflicts or other situations of vio- spective roles and responsibilities. The ICRC provides lence capacity-building support in close consultation and coor- X promoting dialogue and having regular communica- dination with the International Federation, as activities are tion on issues of common concern with National So- carried out with a long-term perspective and are part of cieties and the International Federation Secretariat each National Society’s development process. The sections below describe these activities, distinguish- Operational partnerships with National Societies ing between cooperation with a National Society working in its own country and cooperation between the ICRC and in their own countries National Societies working internationally. The final sec- The ICRC and National Societies in their own countries tion discusses overall Movement coordination in the field. often join forces and choose to implement activities to- gether for the benefit of people affected by conflict or in- Building the response capacity of National ternal strife. Activities selected for joint implementation Societies in their own countries are those which best fit within the National Society’s own The ICRC provides expertise in certain areas to all Na- plan, preserve its ability to function as an independent in- tional Societies in order to strengthen their capacity to stitution and contribute to further strengthening its opera- conduct activities domestically in accordance with their tional capacity. The National Society’s autonomy in man- own priorities and plans. These areas include: aging such activities may vary, and is contingent on its operational capacity and conditions on the ground.

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In its 2007–2010 Strategy, the ICRC identifies opera- Statutes and the Seville Agreement, and in consultation tional partnerships with National Societies in their own with the National Society of the country concerned. countries as a management priority that seeks not only to In such situations, coordination mechanisms are estab- enhance the ICRC's own ability to partner with National lished that cover all the Red Cross and Red Crescent insti- Societies, but also to build the National Societies’ capac- tutions active on the ground. ity to conduct their own operations. When the ICRC assumes the role of lead agency, it im- Written agreements formalize the operational partnership plements its own activities while also taking responsibil- and specify the objectives to be achieved, respective roles ity for coordinating the response of other Movement and responsibilities, and corresponding plans of action components. It is currently working to improve its prac- and budgets. Financial, administrative and reporting pro- tice as lead agency, by working with the National Society cedures form an integral part of such agreements. of the country as its natural "primary partner". Country- This form of cooperation ensures that partnerships with level memoranda of understanding, defining the roles and National Societies have an added value for the beneficiar- responsibilities of each Movement component in emer- ies, the ICRC and the National Society. Details of these gency and normal situations, during periods of conflict, activities are published in the ICRC’s Annual Report. transition and peace, have been developed in a number of contexts and have proven effective in preparing the Operational partnerships with National Societies ground for well coordinated Movement action. working internationally In cooperation with other Movement partners, the ICRC Many National Societies have the resources and willing- has dedicated further resources to learning from the ex- ness to work internationally together with the ICRC, and perience of coordinating the Movement’s humanitarian contribute in cash, in kind or by providing personnel and response in a number of contexts. Revised operational operational management. This section focuses on how this guidelines to enhance coordination are under develop- kind of operational partnership functions and on the form ment. of projects implemented in the field. In order to make its operational partnerships with Na- GENERAL tional Societies working internationally more effective, This programme covers all activities related to the func- and in line with its Cooperation policy of May 2003, the tioning of ICRC delegations, but which cannot be allo- ICRC developed and tested between 2004 and 2006 new cated to another programme, such as strategy, manage- forms of partnership and management procedures that aim ment, internal control and certain strategic negotiations. to bring added value to the Movement’s overall humani- tarian response. The first – Integrated Partnerships – has been designed for situations where a project carried OVERHEADS out by a National Society working internationally forms The budget and expenditure for each operation comprises an integral part of the ICRC’s own objectives, and the Na- a 6.5% overhead charge on cash and services as a contri- tional Society is integrated into the ICRC’s operational bution to the costs of headquarters support for operations management framework. The second – Coordinated Ac- in the field. This support is for services essential to an op- tivities – has been designed for contexts where work car- eration’s success, such as human resources, finance, logis- ried out by a National Society working internationally is tics, information technology and other support as de- not part of the ICRC’s objectives, but is under the ICRC’s scribed in the Headquarters Appeal for the same year. The leadership and coordination in conformity with the Seville contribution covers approximately 30% of the actual cost Agreement. of support provided by headquarters to field operations. In the future, the ICRC will further invest in the develop- ment of partnerships with National Societies that have re- CONTINGENCY cently expanded their international work. The overall amount of the Emergency Appeals includes a Coordination within the Movement budgetary reserve of 5% of the total field budget (includ- ing overheads). The reserve enables the ICRC to meet un- In a given context today, all the types of cooperation out- foreseen needs arising from the intensification of armed lined above may occur simultaneously. They have to be conflicts or other situations of violence where the total carefully organized, coordinated and managed in order to expenditure for its work does not justify a Budget Exten- achieve their respective objectives. More broadly, the re- sion or Special Appeal. sources made available to the Movement must be coordi- nated and managed in ways that ensure maximum benefit is derived for the beneficiaries. ICRC FIELD STRUCTURE The ICRC is responsible for promoting and directing the The ICRC has developed a broad network of delegations contribution and involvement of other Movement compo- around the world. The ultimate purpose of such a network nents in international relief operations in countries af- is to enable the ICRC to fulfill its mandate in favour of fected by armed conflict, internal strife and their direct those affected by armed conflict or other situations of vio- consequences. It assumes the role of “lead agency” for the lence, by responding in a timely, efficient and adequate Movement operation in accordance with the Movement’s manner to the resulting humanitarian needs.

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ICRC delegations adapt to the specific needs of the con- team representing headquarters services such as Protec- texts in which they are active and endeavour to develop tion, Assistance, Logistics, Law, Communication, Coop- the most appropriate and effective strategies. They also eration within the Movement, Humanitarian Diplomacy, act as early-warning systems with regard to political vio- External Resources, Human Resources and Finance and lence or nascent armed conflicts and their potential con- Administration, which are involved as needed. The aim is sequences in humanitarian terms. to enhance relations between headquarters and field dele- gations, and to better coordinate and focus the support In ongoing or emerging situations of armed conflict or provided by these various services. violence, the delegations focus on operational activities such as protection, assistance, cooperation and preventive action at the responsive and remedial levels, for the direct CONTRIBUTIONS benefit of victims – civilians, people deprived of their freedom and the wounded and sick. LEVELS OF EARMARKING In other situations, the delegations focus primarily on en- “Earmarking” is the practice whereby donors require that vironment-building preventive action, cooperation with their funds be attributed to a particular region, country, National Societies and humanitarian diplomacy, while programme or project, or for the purchase of specific remaining poised to become more operational should the goods. Experience has shown that the ICRC’s operational need arise. flexibility decreases in direct proportion to the degree of Many delegations cover only one country. Others cover earmarking demanded by donors, to the detriment of the several countries and are called “regional delegations”. people that the ICRC is trying to help. Coming to terms Certain delegations are tending more and more to provide with specific earmarking and reporting requirements gen- regional services for their respective regions, such as the erates an additional administrative workload, both in the Cairo delegation in terms of communication, Amman in field and at headquarters. Existing standard reporting pro- terms of logistics and Colombo as a training provider. cedures have to be duplicated to meet individual requests, specific reporting, audit and evaluation requirements. The ICRC’s presence in the field can also take the form of a mission or other form of representation adapted to the The ICRC has formulated guidelines to ensure greater particularities of the context or the specific functions as- uniformity and coherence in managing earmarked funds. signed to the ICRC staff on the ground. These standards are designed to maximize the ICRC's ef- fectiveness in the field, by limiting the number of financ- Regional breakdown ing and reporting constraints. The guidelines include rules on contributions which cannot be accepted on principle. Delegations are grouped by geographic regions covering These include: the following geographical entities: X contributions which are in contradiction with the ■ Africa Movement’s Fundamental Principles ■ Asia and the Pacific X contributions which seek to support only a specific ■ Europe and the Americas category of beneficiary (e.g. an ethnic or religious mi- ■ Middle East and North Africa nority, a specific age group or a specific gender) There are 9 regions in all: X contributions which seek to support only a specific sub-region of a country ■ Africa X visibility requirements which impinge on the security • Eastern Africa of beneficiaries or ICRC staff • The Great Lakes and Southern Africa Earmarking is one of the issues raised in the Donor Sup- • Western and Central Africa port Group (DSG), a discussion forum made up of gov- ■ Asia and the Pacific ernments contributing over 10 million Swiss francs annu- • East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific ally to the ICRC’s Appeals. The DSG has successfully as- sisted the ICRC in its efforts to decrease the levels of • South Asia earmarking on contributions and to improve its standard ■ Europe and the Americas reporting system. In addition, the majority of DSG mem- • Eastern Europe and Central Asia bers have accepted that the ICRC’s standard reporting meets the reporting requirements related to their dona- • Latin America and the Caribbean tions. The ICRC continues to try to encourage donors to • North America, Western, Central and South- ease their constraints, while maintaining its commitment Eastern Europe to use funds as efficiently as possible. In 2001, the ICRC ■ Middle East and North Africa adapted its standard reporting system to its internal annual planning exercise (known in-house as the PfR, or Plan- • Middle East and North Africa ning for Results). This commitment to improve reporting At headquarters, a head of region is in charge of the man- to donors has been further reinforced through, for in- agement of and support for field operations in each re- stance, external audits and enhanced internal planning, gion. The head of region answers to the director of Opera- monitoring and evaluation procedures. tions and is also in charge of a regional multidisciplinary

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 19 USER GUIDE

OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE

AFRICA ASIA AND THE PACIFIC EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA North The Great East Asia, America, Eastern Latin America Middle East Lakes and Western and South-East Western, Eastern Africa South Asia Europe and and the and North Southern Central Africa Asia and the Central and Central Asia Caribbean Africa Afica Pacific South-Eastern Europe

CENTRAL BUDAPEST CHAD ANGOLA AFRICAN MYANMAR AFGHANISTAN ARMENIA COLOMBIA ALGERIA (REGIONAL) REPUBLIC

WASHINGTON ERITREA BURUNDI GUINEA PHILIPPINES NEPAL AZERBAIJAN HAITI EGYPT (REGIONAL)

CONGO, BUENOS WESTERN DEMOCRATIC BANGKOK IRAN, ISLAMIC ETHIOPIA LIBERIA PAKISTAN GEORGIA AIRES BALKANS REPUBLIC OF (REGIONAL) REPUBLIC OF (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) THE

BEIJING CARACAS SOMALIA RWANDA NIGERIA SRI LANKA ANKARA IRAQ (REGIONAL) UKRAINE (REGIONAL)

ISRAEL, THE ABIDJAN JAKARTA NEW DELHI MOSCOW LIMA OCCUPIED AND SUDAN UGANDA BRUSSELS (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) AUTONOMOUS TERRITORIES

KUALA INTERNATIO- NAIROBI HARARE DAKAR TASHKENT MEXICO CITY LUMPUR NAL TRACING JORDAN (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) SERVICE

AFRICAN PRETORIA SUVA YAOUNDE LONDON LEBANON UNION (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL) (REGIONAL)

SYRIAN ARAB NEW YORK REPUBLIC

PARIS YEMEN

KUWAIT (REGIONAL)

TUNIS (REGIONAL)

DELEGATIONS AND MISSIONS IN MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD

By 01.01.2009

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 20 USER GUIDE

hance understanding of the resources needed to achieve The table below shows the overall framework agreed with operational results and to determine the reasons for, and donors for the earmarking level of cash contributions to the objectives of, the costs incurred. the ICRC: OVERVIEW Level of earmarking Range/restrictions Example None overall ICRC field ICRC operations worl- The objective of the financial accounting system is to re- budget dwide cord expenses and to report on financial transactions in Region one of the four geo- ICRC operations in Af- graphical entities rica accordance with legal requirements. The purpose of cost Programme one of the four pro- ICRC prevention worl- accounting, which is based on financial accounting, is to grammes dwide promote understanding of processes and transactions, to Programme/region one of the four pro- ICRC protection activi- respond to management requirements in terms of detailed grammes for one of the ties in Asia and the Pa- four geographical enti- cific information and – in particular for the ICRC – to facilitate ties general and specific reporting to donors. Operation one of the operational ICRC activities in Co- delegations lombia The financial accounting system is composed of different data-entry modules that supply the basic information to Contributions which lead to double or over-financing (e.g. the cost accounting system (comprising cost centre ac- two different donors wishing to fund the same programme counting and cost units accounting). The costs are allo- in the same country) cannot be accepted as this would run cated from the cost centres to the cost units according to counter to recognized audit standards. The ICRC can where and by whom the objectives are being imple- make exceptions in accepting earmarking to programme mented. For the system to function, staff must report on or sub-programme level for a specific operation when the time they spend working on different objectives. standard reporting requirements are agreed. Earmarking guidelines not only seek increased uniformity Financial accounting system and coherence in managing contributions, but also estab- The financial accounting system consists of a number of lish a correlation between earmarking and reporting. In- modules (general ledger, payroll, accounts payable, ac- deed, greater flexibility on the donor side regarding narra- counts receivable, stocks, fixed assets). Information re- tive and financial reporting enables the ICRC to manage corded in the peripheral modules is stored within the main tighter earmarking more effectively. module, the general ledger, and incorporated into a bal- ance sheet and a profit-and-loss statement. As financial CONTRIBUTIONS IN KIND accounting does not provide information about the origin of and the reason for costs, it does not in itself serve to as- Contributions in kind refer to assistance provided in the sess results. In other words, it does not provide the infor- form of food, non-food items or specific goods needed for mation needed for reporting purposes. This task is per- the ICRC’s assistance activities. The customary procedure formed by cost accounting. for the acquisition of contributions in kind is as follows: the ICRC makes a request for specific goods needed for a Cost or analytical accounting system particular field operation; that request is matched by a The cost accounting system allocates all costs in two dif- specific donor offer of goods. Once the offer has been ac- ferent ways: to the cost centre, which explains the origin cepted, the goods are delivered by the donor directly to of the costs, and to the cost units, which indicate the rea- the ICRC’s local or regional warehouses. son for or the objective of the costs. Thus it not only ex- plains the type and origin of costs (e.g. salary, purchase, CONTRIBUTIONS IN SERVICES communications, etc.), but also creates a link between the Contributions in services refer to support given to the internal service supplier (operations, management, ware- ICRC in the form of logistics or staff on loan. The head- house, logistics, administration, etc.) and the beneficiary, ing “in services” in the regional budget table indicates the thereby providing reliable and meaningful information for portion of the budget that the ICRC estimates will be cov- both internal and external performance assessment and ered by this sort of contribution. reporting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOUNTING COST TYPE ACCOUNTING MODEL Personnel costs are initiated directly by employees and comprise salaries, social benefits, training and all other The accounting model draws a clear distinction between expenses directly related to staff remuneration. financial accounting and cost accounting. Cost accounting enhances the information available for internal manage- Workplace costs comprise all costs incurred in connec- ment and reporting to donors. Financial accounting illus- tion with the space and infrastructure necessary for the trates how human, material and financial resources are work of staff, and are therefore directly correlated to the used, while cost accounting focuses on the use of those number of employees within the cost centre initiating the resources for the implementation of operational objectives costs. Examples of such costs are office furniture, IT in- by country, programme and target population, as defined frastructure, all types of material and equipment and their in the PfR methodology. The aim of the system is to en- maintenance, depreciation of assets, rent for work space

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 21 USER GUIDE and storage space, consumables such as electricity and a) Financial “organizational unit” dimension water, means of transport and communication fees. The financial organizational unit (OU) reflects the hierar- Direct costs represent all direct costs that bear no direct chy of the organization in terms of responsibility for op- relation to the number of employees and that can there- erational results. As most ICRC field operations are de- fore be allocated directly to cost units accounting (see be- signed for and implemented in a specific geographical low). Examples are the purchase of goods and services for area, the OU dimension also reflects the geographical distribution to beneficiaries or for immediate consump- structure of field operations. It serves to determine the tion. costs and income of a delegation, region or geographical entity and to compare those costs and that income with Financial accounting and cost categories the predefined objectives and results to be achieved. The chart of accounts comprises three cost categories that At headquarters, the OU dimension corresponds to direc- serve to allocate costs between cost centres and to cost torates, departments and units. units accounting. b) Programme dimension Cost centre accounting Programmes are slices of institutional objectives cut along Any unit (department or unit at headquarters or delegation the lines of the ICRC’s core activities. They therefore rep- in the field) within the organization generates costs as it resent the ICRC’s areas of competence translated into consumes goods and services. It is important to identify products and services delivered to the beneficiaries (see the initiator of these costs and to specify his or her re- “Programme Descriptions” above). sponsibility for the type, quality and dimension of the transactions concerned. This is the purpose of the cost c) Target populations dimension centre accounting system. The cost centre reflects the With the introduction of the PfR methodology, it has be- structure of the unit to which the costs incurred within a come necessary to identify target populations as relevant given period are initially charged. The person who is an- cost units and hence to incorporate them into the project swerable for the origin of the relevant costs always man- dimension (for the definition of target populations see ages the cost centre. “Target Populations” above) Cost units accounting Objectives and plans of action Cost units accounting responds to the information re- The objectives are a general statement of intent used for quirements of management and donors, providing greater planning purposes on a timescale of one to several years. insight into the financial resources consumed. It is an es- Via plans of action, this process clearly identifies a result sential tool for management since it describes the reason or a measurable change for a target of population. for or purpose of the costs. Cost units accounting and re- porting is based on the operational objectives defined us- ing the PfR methodology and gives a clearer indication of CONCLUSION the purpose for which the costs were incurred. The ICRC has an ambitious accounting model that has To make it possible to produce all the reports required, a implications not only for financial and data-processing three-dimensional cost units structure is used. The three procedures but also for the organization and working dimensions, outlined below, are independent from one methods of the relevant support units. In this connection, another. Set together they are the parameters of the PfR it has started to work on performance indicators which system. The total costs found in cost unit accounting are aim at enhancing the financial information obtained with equal to the total costs found in cost centre accounting. In operational key indicators. all three of the dimensions described there are different levels of aggregation in order to monitor activities ade- quately.

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 22

THE ICRC AROUND THE WORLD

APPEALS SUMMARY

AFRICA Appeal CHF 399.8 million ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Appeal CHF 191.7 million EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS Appeal CHF 147.4 million MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Appeal CHF 210.5 million

CONTINGENCY CHF 47.5 million EMERGENCY APPEALS CHF 996.9 million HEADQUARTERS APPEAL CHF 168.6 million

DELEGATIONS AND MISSIONS IN MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES

EXPATRIATE STAFF: 1,453

NATIONAL STAFF (DAILY WORKERS NOT INCLUDED): 9,908

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 23 THE ICRC AROUND THE WORLD

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 24

SUMMARY OF BUDGET

Figures in KCHF PROGRAMME PROGRAMME TOTALS

GEOGRAPHICAL ENTITY

Protection Assistance Prevention Cooperation with National Societies General TOTAL 2009 BUDGET of which: Total cash Total kind Total services

AFRICA 56,709 261,690 44,450 36,522 408 399,779 393,733 2,999 3,047 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 36,727 105,736 27,154 21,414 649 191,680 188,996 487 2,197 EUROPE AND THE 34,795 55,920 42,318 14,361 51 147,445 147,043 - 401 AMERICAS MIDDLE EAST AND 55,258 124,219 20,213 10,472 345 210,506 209,820 - 687 NORTH AFRICA TOTAL 183,489 547,564 134,134 82,770 1,453 949,410 939,592 3,486 6,332 Contingency 47,470 47,470 GRAND TOTAL 996,880 987,063 3,486 6,332 Of which overheads 11,199 33,207 8,187 5,052 89 57,732

2009 BUDGET BY GEOGRAPHICAL ZONE (as a percentage)

Contingency not included

AFRICA 42.1%

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 20.2%

EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS 15.5%

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 22.2%

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 25 SUMMARY OF BUDGET

2009 BUDGET BY PROGRAMME (as a percentage)

Contingency not included

PROTECTION 19.3%

ASSISTANCE 57.7%

PREVENTION 14.1%

COOPERATION WITH NATIONAL SOCIETIES 8.7%

GENERAL 0.2%

2009 BUDGET BY TARGET POPULATION (as a percentage)

Contingency not included

CIVILIANS 49.3%

PEOPLE DEPRIVED OF THEIR FREEDOM 13.2%

WOUNDED & SICK 14.7%

AUTHORITIES 3.7%

ARMED FORCES & OTHER BEARERS OF WEAPONS 4.2%

CIVIL SOCIETY 6.1%

RED CROSS & RED CRESCENT MOVEMENT 8.7%

OTHERS * 0.1%

* e.g. ICRC internal, other international actors, etc.

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 26

AFRICA

© Boris Heger/ICRC

ANGOLA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been present in Angola since the start of Protection 1,372 the armed conflict in 1975 that devastated the country's Assistance - infrastructure and economy and left the population de- Prevention 319 pendent on aid. Relative normality has returned since the Cooperation with National Societies 461 2002 Luena peace agreement, although mines remain a major problem. The ICRC cooperates with the Angola General - Red Cross in raising awareness of landmine risks. The Total 2,153 two organizations also operate a tracing network to en- Of which: Overheads 131 able family members separated by the conflict to re- establish contact. Following the closure of the Luanda PERSONNEL delegation in mid-2009, activities in Angola will be pur- Expatriates sued by the ICRC’s regional delegation in Pretoria. 3 National staff (daily workers not included) 21

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 27 AFRICA

BURUNDI

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 2,662 For 37 years until 1999, the ICRC monitored the situation Assistance in Burundi and took action on an ad hoc basis. Since 3,947 then, it has been present in the country, focusing on help- Prevention 1,320 ing people to overcome the worst consequences of armed Cooperation with National Societies 944 conflict. It works with the prison authorities to ensure that General - detainees are treated according to internationally recog- Total 8,872 nized standards. It rehabilitates water and sanitation sys- Of which: Overheads 541 tems for vulnerable groups. It reunites children separated from their parents with their families and restores family links. It also supports training in IHL for the armed and PERSONNEL security forces. Expatriates 19 National staff (daily workers not included) 127

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC opened a delegation in the Central African Re- Protection 1,591 public (CAR) in 2007 in the context of the non- Assistance 10,507 international armed conflict in the north of the country, but Prevention 1,716 has carried out activities in the CAR since 1983. It pro- Cooperation with National Societies 1,258 tects and assists people affected by armed conflict or General other situations of violence, providing emergency aid, car- - rying out livelihood-support projects and rehabilitating wa- Total 15,072 ter and sanitation facilities. It also visits detainees, re- Of which: Overheads 920 stores family links for people separated by conflict, pro- motes IHL among the authorities, armed forces, armed PERSONNEL groups and academic institutions, and supports the de- Expatriates 25 velopment of the Central African Red Cross Society. National staff (daily workers not included) 106

CHAD

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 6,069 The ICRC has been operating in Chad since 1978. It fo- Assistance cuses on protecting and assisting people internally dis- 21,860 placed, detained or otherwise affected by non- Prevention 2,497 international armed conflict or other situations of violence, Cooperation with National Societies 1,236 or by the spillover of hostilities in the neighbouring Darfur General - region of Sudan. It provides emergency aid, supports Total 31,662 treatment for the wounded and amputees, visits detainees Of which: Overheads 1,890 and restores family links, primarily for Sudanese refugees. The ICRC also pursues long-standing programmes to promote IHL among the authorities, armed forces and civil PERSONNEL society and supports the Red Cross of Chad. Expatriates 57 National staff (daily workers not included) 258

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 28 AFRICA

CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC opened a permanent delegation in Zaire, now Protection 11,476 the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1978. It ensures Assistance 32,876 that displaced people and residents affected by armed Prevention 4,277 conflict and violence have the means to survive and be- Cooperation with National Societies 4,293 come self-sufficient and that the wounded and sick re- General ceive adequate health care. It works to restore contact be- - tween separated family members – where necessary and Total 52,922 possible, reuniting children with their families – and sup- Of which: Overheads 3,136 ports the development of the National Society. It also promotes respect for the basic rules of IHL and human PERSONNEL rights law by the authorities in their treatment of civilians Expatriates 67 and detainees. National staff (daily workers not included) 649

ERITREA

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 1,758 Assistance The ICRC opened a delegation in Eritrea in 1998 in the 8,245 context of the international armed conflict between Ethio- Prevention 653 pia and Eritrea and is responding to the needs remaining Cooperation with National Societies 357 from the two-year war. Its priority is to protect and assist General - the population displaced, detained or otherwise affected Total 11,013 by the conflict, ensuring compliance with IHL in respect of Of which: Overheads 672 any persons still protected by the Third and Fourth Ge- neva Conventions. The ICRC also supports the develop- ment of the Red Cross Society of Eritrea. PERSONNEL Expatriates 16 National staff (daily workers not included) 104

ETHIOPIA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been continuously present in Ethiopia Protection 2,415 since 1977. Its priority is to protect and assist people de- Assistance 4,397 tained, displaced or otherwise affected by the 1998–2000 Prevention 2,147 international armed conflict with Eritrea or by other armed Cooperation with National Societies 1,066 conflicts, often compounded by natural disasters. The General ICRC provides emergency aid, but also implements me- - dium-term assistance projects to preserve the livelihoods Total 10,026 of vulnerable communities affected by past conflict, and Of which: Overheads 612 supports physical rehabilitation services. It visits detain- ees, restores family links, particularly for relatives sepa- PERSONNEL rated by the closed Eritrea-Ethiopia border, promotes IHL Expatriates and supports the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. 21 National staff (daily workers not included) 146

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 29 AFRICA

AFRICAN UNION

BUDGET IN KCHF See under Ethiopia The ICRC's delegation to the (AU) aims to achieve better understanding and wider acceptance of the ICRC within the AU Commission and other AU bodies. In its capacity as official observer to the AU, it works with AU member States to draw attention to problems requiring humanitarian action, to promote greater recognition and much wider implementation of IHL throughout Africa and to raise awareness of the ICRC's role and activities. It also endeavours to build strong relations with AU- accredited intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and PERSONNEL UN agencies. See under Ethiopia

GUINEA

BUDGET IN KCHF In Guinea since 1970, the ICRC opened its operational Protection 993 delegation in Conakry in 2001. Since the end of 2008, the Assistance 3,555 delegation has also provided support for the ICRC office Prevention 1,280 in Sierra Leone. In both countries, the ICRC has been ex- Cooperation with National Societies 2,099 tensively involved in protection activities, particularly re- General storing family links, visiting detainees and advising the de- - taining authorities. At the same time, it promotes IHL Total 7,926 among the armed and security forces, political authorities, Of which: Overheads 484 the media and the public. It works with the Red Cross So- cieties of Guinea and Sierra Leone to strengthen their ca- PERSONNEL pacities to respond to emergencies, promote the Red Expatriates 15 Cross and restore family links. National staff (daily workers not included) 93

LIBERIA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has worked in Liberia since 1970 and opened Protection - its operational delegation in Monrovia in 1990. Following Assistance 6,653 intense fighting early in 2003 and the subsequent signing Prevention 2,024 of a peace agreement, the ICRC stepped up its opera- Cooperation with National Societies 3,189 tions in Liberia. Since 2005, assistance and protection ac- General tivities have focused on returnees (former IDPs and refu- - gees) and residents, the wounded and sick, detainees, Total 11,866 and children separated from their families. These activi- Of which: Overheads 724 ties are now being gradually downsized. The ICRC sup- ports the Liberian Red Cross Society and runs pro- PERSONNEL grammes to promote IHL among armed forces present in Expatriates 19 Liberia. National staff (daily workers not included) 187

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 30 AFRICA

NIGERIA

BUDGET IN KCHF Active in Nigeria during the Biafran war (1966–70), the Protection 212 ICRC established a delegation in Lagos in 1988 and relo- Assistance - cated to Abuja in 2003. The ICRC works to enhance the Prevention 2,003 Nigerian Red Cross Society’s capacity to respond to Cooperation with National Societies 1,784 emergencies countrywide. It supports the National Soci- General ety's tracing and dissemination activities and a pro- - gramme to improve hygiene and sanitation in prisons. Total 3,999 Working with the authorities, the armed forces, the police, Of which: Overheads 244 civil society, and the Economic Community Of West Afri- can States, the ICRC promotes awareness of IHL and its PERSONNEL national implementation. The ICRC and the National So- Expatriates 6 ciety work to promote the Red Cross. National staff (daily workers not included) 30

RWANDA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC opened a delegation in Rwanda in 1990. It fo- Protection 3,436 cuses on visiting the tens of thousands of detainees held Assistance 2,394 in central prisons. It also regularly visits people held in Prevention 399 places of temporary detention such as police stations and Cooperation with National Societies 687 military facilities. It helps to reunite children with the fami- General - lies from whom they became separated during the exodus of 1994 or during the mass repatriations in 1996–97. The Total 6,917 ICRC works with the authorities to incorporate IHL into Of which: Overheads 422 domestic legislation and into school and university curric- ula. It also supports the development of the Rwandan Red PERSONNEL Cross. Expatriates 14 National staff (daily workers not included) 90

SOMALIA

The ICRC has maintained a presence in Somalia since BUDGET IN KCHF 1982, basing its delegation in Nairobi since 1994. It fo- Protection 240 cuses on providing emergency aid to people directly af- Assistance 47,656 fected by armed conflict, often in combination with natural Prevention 1,064 disasters, and runs an extensive first-aid, medical and ba- Cooperation with National Societies 1,025 sic health care programme to treat the wounded and sick. General - It endeavours to promote respect for IHL, focusing on the protection of civilians and medical staff and infrastructure. Total 49,985 It also carries out small-scale water, agricultural and cash- Of which: Overheads 3,051 for-work projects with a medium-term outlook, designed to restore or improve the livelihoods of communities weak- PERSONNEL ened by crises. It works closely with and supports the de- Expatriates 21 velopment of the Somali Red Crescent Society. National staff (daily workers not included) 42

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 31 AFRICA

SUDAN

The ICRC opened an office in Khartoum in 1978. In 1984, BUDGET IN KCHF it initiated operations in the context of the armed conflict Protection 14,492 between government forces and the Sudan People's Lib- Assistance 75,733 eration Movement/Army and is now adapting its pro- Prevention 8,348 grammes to the transition to peace. Since early 2004, it Cooperation with National Societies 4,222 has been responding to needs arising from the hostilities General - in Darfur. The ICRC's priority is to ensure that people di- rectly affected by armed conflict are protected in accor- Total 102,795 dance with IHL, receive emergency aid, medical care and Of which: Overheads 6,227 basic assistance to preserve their livelihoods, and can re- establish family links. It supports the Sudanese Red PERSONNEL Crescent Society and provides leadership for other Expatriates 151 Movement partners working in Sudan. National staff (daily workers not included) 1,553

UGANDA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been continuously present in Uganda since Protection 990 1979, with limited action in the field between April 2001 Assistance 14,251 and late 2003 following the killing of six ICRC staff mem- Prevention 1,365 bers in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Cooperation with National Societies 2,194 Congo. While protection activities for civilians continue, General - given the progress towards peace in the north of the country, ICRC assistance activities have shifted from Total 18,801 emergency response to livelihood support. The ICRC also Of which: Overheads 1,147 visits detainees falling within its mandate and strives to raise awareness of IHL and humanitarian principles PERSONNEL among the armed and police forces. Expatriates 27 National staff (daily workers not included) 233

ABIDJAN (REGIONAL) COVERING: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo

BUDGET IN KCHF In the countries covered by the regional delegation, estab- Protection 2,130 lished in 1992, the ICRC supports the authorities in im- Assistance 9,885 plementing IHL, encourages armed and security forces to Prevention 3,093 respect IHL, and develops protection activities particularly Cooperation with National Societies 2,339 in the fields of detention and restoring family links. It also supports the institutional development of the region's Na- General 408 tional Societies. In Côte d’Ivoire, the delegation focuses Total 17,854 on responding to the protection and assistance needs of Of which: Overheads 1,090 people affected by the lasting consequences of the crisis that began in 2002, and on visiting detainees and monitor- PERSONNEL ing the situation countrywide. It coordinates its activities Expatriates with the Red Cross Society of Côte d'Ivoire. 38 National staff (daily workers not included) 218

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 32 AFRICA

DAKAR (REGIONAL) COVERING: Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 2,106 The Dakar regional delegation has existed in its current Assistance 8,239 form since 1994. It focuses on promoting IHL among the Prevention 3,175 armed forces and other bearers of weapons and on en- Cooperation with National Societies couraging its implementation by the authorities throughout 2,540 the region. It also supports the activities of the National General - Societies, assists people affected by violence in Total 16,060 Casamance and Mali, and by non-international armed Of which: Overheads 980 conflict in Niger, such as displaced persons in need and returnees, and visits detainees of ICRC concern, provid- PERSONNEL ing them with material aid where necessary. Expatriates 29 National staff (daily workers not included) 135

HARARE (REGIONAL) COVERING: Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 1,187 The Harare regional delegation has existed in its current Assistance form since 1981, although the ICRC has been present in 8,768 some of the countries covered for much longer. It focuses Prevention 1,587 on protecting and assisting civilians and visiting people Cooperation with National Societies 1,246 deprived of their freedom in connection with political ten- General - sions. The delegation helps family members separated by Total 12,789 armed conflict restore contact. It informs the authorities, Of which: Overheads 781 the armed and security forces and the general public about IHL, human rights law and the ICRC’s mandate, and helps the region's National Societies develop their PERSONNEL operational capacities. Expatriates 17 National staff (daily workers not included) 83

NAIROBI (REGIONAL) COVERING: Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, United Republic of Tanzania

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC's regional delegation in Nairobi was set up in Protection 2,227 1974 and has a dual purpose: first, to promote IHL and Assistance 2,675 carry out operations in the countries covered, namely re- Prevention 3,044 storing family links for refugees, protecting and assisting Cooperation with National Societies 2,440 people injured, displaced or otherwise affected by armed General - conflict or other situations of violence, visiting detainees falling within its mandate, and supporting the development Total 10,386 of the National Societies; and second, to provide relief Of which: Overheads 634 supplies and other support services for ICRC operations in neighbouring countries of the Horn of Africa and Great PERSONNEL Lakes regions, as well as further afield. Expatriates 33 National staff (daily workers not included) 318

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 33 AFRICA

PRETORIA (REGIONAL) COVERING: Angola (as of 1 July 2009), Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 903 The Pretoria regional delegation has existed in its present Assistance form since 1995. It keeps a close eye on the domestic 48 situation in the countries covered and helps refugees and Prevention 1,651 asylum seekers restore family links severed by armed Cooperation with National Societies 1,211 conflict and other situations of violence. It promotes ratifi- General - cation of IHL treaties and their national implementation Total 3,813 and encourages the incorporation of IHL into military and Of which: Overheads 233 police training and into secondary school and university curricula. The ICRC supports the region’s National Socie- ties, in cooperation with the International Federation. The PERSONNEL ICRC visits detainees in Madagascar and Lesotho. Expatriates 8 National staff (daily workers not included) 35

YAOUNDÉ (REGIONAL) COVERING: Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Principe

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 450 Assistance - The ICRC set up its Yaoundé regional delegation in 1992 Prevention 2,488 but has been working in the region since 1972. It monitors Cooperation with National Societies the domestic situation in the countries covered, visits se- 1,930 curity detainees and restores family links for refugees. It General - pursues long-standing programmes to spread knowledge Total 4,868 of IHL among the authorities, armed forces and civil soci- Of which: Overheads 297 ety, and supports the development of the National Socie- ties. PERSONNEL Expatriates 10 National staff (daily workers not included) 42

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 34

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

© Marko Kokic/ICRC

AFGHANISTAN

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 7,785 Having assisted victims of the Afghan armed conflict for Assistance 56,780 six years in Pakistan, the ICRC opened a delegation in Prevention 3,092 Kabul in 1987. Its current operations focus on: protecting Cooperation with National Societies 5,455 detainees and helping them keep in contact with their General - families; assisting the wounded and disabled; supporting hospital care; improving water and sanitation services; Total 73,112 promoting accession to and implementation of IHL trea- Of which: Overheads 4,439 ties and compliance with IHL by military forces; and strengthening the Afghan Red Crescent Society. PERSONNEL Expatriates 100 National staff (daily workers not included) 1,269

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 35 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

MYANMAR

The ICRC began working in Myanmar in 1986, providing BUDGET IN KCHF physical rehabilitation for mine victims and other disabled Protection 1,319 people. Between 1999 and 2005, delegates visited de- Assistance 1,174 tainees, assisted and protected civilians in conflict areas, Prevention 590 and provided supplies to hospitals treating the wounded. Cooperation with National Societies 690 By the end of 2005, restrictions imposed by the authorities General - on the ICRC's ability to work according to its standard procedures had led to a progressive downsizing of activi- Total 3,773 ties. The ICRC actively seeks dialogue with government Of which: Overheads 230 authorities with a view to resuming its priority activities. It also works with the International Federation to enhance PERSONNEL the effectiveness of the National Society with which it con- Expatriates 6 tinues to run a prosthetic/orthotic facility. National staff (daily workers not included) 115

NEPAL

The ICRC initially worked in Nepal out of its regional BUDGET IN KCHF delegation in New Delhi, opening a delegation in Kath- Protection 1,328 mandu in 2001. Until the May 2006 ceasefire agreement, Assistance 3,601 its primary aim was to protect and assist people directly Prevention 1,547 affected by the armed conflict between the government Cooperation with National Societies 1,170 and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. Since the General - agreement, the ICRC has focused on clarifying the fate of missing persons and adapted its assistance activities to Total 7,645 the new situation, namely by serving as a neutral inter- Of which: Overheads 467 mediary between relevant actors, taking action on behalf of people deprived of their freedom, promoting full com- PERSONNEL pliance with IHL and improving medical care for the Expatriates 14 wounded. It works closely with the Nepal Red Cross So- ciety. National staff (daily workers not included) 103

PAKISTAN

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC began working in Pakistan in 1981 to assist vic- Protection 5,501 tims of the armed conflict in Afghanistan. Its current op- Assistance 13,530 erations now focus on: visiting security detainees; assist- Prevention 3,010 ing victims of conflict and natural disaster; ensuring care Cooperation with National Societies 1,466 of the weapon-wounded and the disabled; promoting General 649 compliance with IHL among officials and military forces; fostering dialogue with religious leaders, academic institu- Total 24,157 tions and the media on IHL-related issues, the conduct of Of which: Overheads 1,474 hostilities and neutral and independent humanitarian ac- tion; and supporting the Pakistan Red Crescent Society in PERSONNEL enhancing its response capacity. Expatriates 63 National staff (daily workers not included) 447

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 36 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

PHILIPPINES

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 2,839 In the Philippines, where the ICRC has been working Assistance 6,012 since 1982, the delegation assists and protects civilians Prevention 1,780 displaced or otherwise affected by armed clashes be- Cooperation with National Societies tween the government and insurgent groups, primarily on 1,562 the southern island of Mindanao. It acts as a neutral in- General - termediary between opposing forces in humanitarian mat- Total 12,193 ters, visits security detainees and works with the Philip- Of which: Overheads 744 pine National Red Cross, through its network of regional chapters and local branches, to assist displaced people and promote compliance with IHL. PERSONNEL Expatriates 26 National staff (daily workers not included) 106

SRI LANKA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has worked in Sri Lanka since 1989. Opera- Protection 8,154 tions focus on: protecting civilians from violations of IHL; Assistance 16,053 ensuring the safe passage of civilians and essential Prevention goods across ceasefire lines; visiting detainees and facili- 2,396 tating family links; ensuring adequate water supply and Cooperation with National Societies 1,189 economic security for IDPs and communities affected by General - the armed conflict; improving access to physical rehabili- Total 27,792 tation facilities; supporting military training in IHL; and Of which: Overheads 1,690 helping the parties resolve the issue of missing persons. In the north and east, the ICRC also coordinates the PERSONNEL Movement response for victims of the conflict and victims Expatriates 70 of the 2004 tsunami. National staff (daily workers not included) 576

BANGKOK (REGIONAL) COVERING: Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, Viet Nam

BUDGET IN KCHF Since first establishing a presence in Bangkok in 1979 to Protection support its operation in Cambodia, the ICRC has worked 2,189 to promote the ratification and implementation of humani- Assistance 3,017 tarian treaties and the integration of IHL into military train- Prevention 1,761 ing in all the countries covered. It strives to raise aware- Cooperation with National Societies 1,601 ness of issues of humanitarian concern among all sectors General - of society and supports the National Societies of the re- Total 8,569 gion in developing their dissemination and tracing activi- ties. The ICRC continues to visit detainees of concern in Of which: Overheads 523 Cambodia and Thailand and to work towards protecting and assisting vulnerable population groups. The ICRC PERSONNEL prosthetic/orthotic project in Cambodia contributes to Expatriates 23 meeting the need for affordable, good-quality prostheses. National staff (daily workers not included) 59

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 37 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

BEIJING (REGIONAL) COVERING: China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Republic of Korea, Mongolia

The ICRC opened its Beijing regional delegation in July BUDGET IN KCHF 2005. As of 1987, it covered the region from Hong Kong Protection 454 and, as of 1996, from Bangkok. The delegation fosters Assistance 2,889 support among governments, experts and National Socie- Prevention 3,947 ties for ICRC activities in the region and worldwide. It con- Cooperation with National Societies 1,287 tinues to promote the ratification and implementation of General - humanitarian treaties and the integration of IHL into mili- tary training. It promotes IHL among civil society, in par- Total 8,577 ticular academic institutions. It supports the region’s Na- Of which: Overheads 523 tional Societies in developing their dissemination and trac- ing activities. ICRC/National Society prosthetic/orthotic PERSONNEL projects in China and the DPRK contribute to meeting the Expatriates 15 need for affordable, good-quality prostheses. National staff (daily workers not included) 35

JAKARTA (REGIONAL) COVERING: Indonesia, Timor-Leste

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC established a presence in Indonesia in 1979 Protection 2,667 and has been present in Timor-Leste since its independ- Assistance 986 ence in 2002. In each country the ICRC works closely Prevention with the National Society to protect and assist victims of 1,947 violence. The ICRC continues to visit detainees held in Cooperation with National Societies 2,794 connection with current or past armed conflict or internal General - disturbances in both countries, and works to broaden un- Total 8,394 derstanding and acceptance of IHL. It promotes imple- Of which: Overheads 512 mentation of that law, supports its inclusion in training programmes for armed forces (and police personnel in In- PERSONNEL donesia) and develops activities with universities to pro- Expatriates 17 mote the study of IHL. National staff (daily workers not included) 98

KUALA LUMPUR (REGIONAL) COVERING: Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore

The ICRC began working in Malaysia in 1972 and opened BUDGET IN KCHF a regional delegation in Kuala Lumpur in 2001. In the Protection 213 countries covered, the ICRC endeavours to involve gov- Assistance - ernment representatives, leaders, experts and National Prevention 1,636 Societies in reflection on humanitarian issues and to gain Cooperation with National Societies 389 their support for its activities. It encourages the ratification General - and implementation of IHL treaties and the incorporation of IHL into military training and academic curricula. The Total 2,237 delegation hosts the ICRC’s Regional Resource Centre, Of which: Overheads 137 which supports delegations in East and South-East Asia and the Pacific in promoting IHL, strengthening support PERSONNEL for the ICRC's humanitarian action and cooperation within Expatriates 9 the Movement. National staff (daily workers not included) 18

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 38 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

NEW DELHI (REGIONAL) COVERING: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 3,775 The regional delegation in New Delhi opened in 1982. It Assistance 1,694 works with the armed forces, universities, civil society and Prevention the media in the region to promote broader understanding 3,276 and implementation of IHL and to encourage respect for Cooperation with National Societies 2,382 humanitarian rules and principles. The ICRC visits people General - arrested and detained in connection with the situation in Total 11,128 Jammu and Kashmir (India), as well as in Bhutan and the Of which: Overheads 679 Maldives. It also supports the development of the National Societies in Bangladesh and India and supports some of PERSONNEL their assistance programmes in the field. Expatriates 28 National staff (daily workers not included) 99

SUVA (REGIONAL) COVERING: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and autonomous states, territories and colonies of the Pacific

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 505 Since 2001, ICRC operations in the Pacific have been Assistance - carried out by the Suva regional delegation. It assists Prevention governments in the ratification and implementation of IHL 2,172 treaties and promotes respect for and compliance with Cooperation with National Societies 1,428 IHL among the region's armed and security forces. It also General - promotes IHL among academic circles, the media and Total 4,105 civil society. The ICRC visits people detained in connec- Of which: Overheads 251 tion with past unrest in Fiji and Solomon Islands. It also helps build the conflict response capacities of the region’s PERSONNEL National Societies. Expatriates 4 National staff (daily workers not included) 17

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 39

EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

© Virginie Louis/ICRC

ARMENIA

The ICRC has been working in Armenia since 1992 in re- BUDGET IN KCHF lation to the Nagorny Karabakh armed conflict. It focuses Protection 638 on addressing the issue of missing persons and the prob- Assistance 603 lems of detainees held in connection with the conflict, or Prevention 838 for security reasons, or who are otherwise vulnerable, and Cooperation with National Societies 278 monitors the situation of communities along the interna- General - tional border with Azerbaijan. It supports the authorities in bringing the spread of tuberculosis under control in pris- Total 2,358 ons. It also promotes the national implementation of IHL Of which: Overheads 144 and its integration into the training of the armed and secu- rity forces and into university and school curricula. The PERSONNEL ICRC works to strengthen the capacities of the Armenian Expatriates 2 Red Cross Society. National staff (daily workers not included) 29

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 40 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

AZERBAIJAN

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been working in Azerbaijan since 1992 in Protection 3,334 relation to the Nagorny Karabakh armed conflict. It fo- Assistance 2,133 cuses on addressing the issue of missing persons and the Prevention 1,055 problems of detainees held in connection with the conflict, Cooperation with National Societies detained for security reasons or otherwise vulnerable, and 290 monitors the situation of communities along the Line of General - Contact. It supports the authorities in bringing the spread Total 6,811 of tuberculosis in prisons under control. The ICRC pro- Of which: Overheads 416 motes the implementation of IHL and its integration into the training of the armed and security forces and into uni- PERSONNEL versity and school curricula. It works to strengthen the ca- Expatriates 10 pacities of the Red Crescent Society of Azerbaijan. National staff (daily workers not included) 81

GEORGIA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been present in Georgia since 1992. It vis- Protection 3,502 its detainees throughout Georgia, including Abkhazia and Assistance 14,000 South Ossetia, and supports the authorities in bringing tu- Prevention 2,040 berculosis in prisons under control. It contributes to efforts Cooperation with National Societies to provide answers to families of missing persons and 1,389 protects and assists displaced people and other vulner- General - able groups in conflict-affected regions. The ICRC also Total 20,931 promotes the integration of IHL into the training of the Of which: Overheads 1,277 armed and security forces and into university and school curricula. In cooperation with Movement partners, the PERSONNEL ICRC helps to strengthen the capacities of the National Expatriates 31 Society. National staff (daily workers not included) 230

UKRAINE

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection - The ICRC has been working in Ukraine since 1995. It pro- Assistance - motes the integration of IHL into national legislation, into Prevention 339 the training programmes and codes of conduct of the Cooperation with National Societies 199 armed forces, and into university curricula. The ICRC General - seeks to strengthen cooperation with the Ukraine Red Cross Society, in particular to help boost its capacity to Total 538 respond to emerging needs for humanitarian assistance Of which: Overheads 33 and for services to restore family links, such as those of detained migrants. PERSONNEL Expatriates - National staff (daily workers not included) 3

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 41 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

BUDAPEST (REGIONAL) COVERING: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection - The Budapest regional delegation, established in 1997, Assistance - encourages and supports the States of the region in their Prevention 679 efforts to ratify and implement IHL treaties. It assists the Cooperation with National Societies military authorities in incorporating IHL into their training 578 programmes and exercises, and the civil authorities in in- General - tegrating IHL into university and secondary school curric- Total 1,257 ula. It also promotes research and debate on IHL and Of which: Overheads 77 humanitarian issues among academic circles. The dele- gation supports the development of the region's National PERSONNEL Societies. The delegation will close in mid-2009. Expatriates 2 National staff (daily workers not included) 5

MOSCOW (REGIONAL) COVERING: Belarus, Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 3,679 The Moscow delegation, which opened in 1992, combines Assistance 6,720 operational functions in the Russian Federation with re- Prevention 5,989 gional functions. The ICRC assists vulnerable populations Cooperation with National Societies 2,026 affected by the conflict in Chechnya, in cooperation with General - the National Society, and supports capacity building of the National Society in the northern Caucasus. In all the Total 18,414 countries covered, it runs long-term communication pro- Of which: Overheads 1,124 grammes to promote IHL and foster understanding of the ICRC's mandate and work. PERSONNEL Expatriates 20 National staff (daily workers not included) 245

TASHKENT (REGIONAL) COVERING: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

BUDGET IN KCHF The regional delegation in Central Asia was opened in Protection 4,090 1992. It assists governments in implementing IHL instru- Assistance 2,004 ments and integrating IHL into secondary school and uni- Prevention 3,009 versity curricula. It also supports the integration of IHL into Cooperation with National Societies armed forces’ doctrine, training and sanctions, and pro- 1,002 motes international human rights law among police and General - gendarmerie units dealing with law enforcement. The Total 10,106 ICRC contributes to strengthening the capacities of the Of which: Overheads 617 region’s National Societies, in particular in the fields of promoting IHL and restoring family links. It also endeav- PERSONNEL ours to protect and assist people detained for security Expatriates 26 reasons, focusing on access to health care. National staff (daily workers not included) 89

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 42 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

WESTERN BALKANS (REGIONAL) COVERING: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia

*Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Its status remains disputed.

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been working in the countries covered Protection 4,790 since the early 1990s. The organization strives to respond Assistance - to the needs remaining from armed conflicts in the region. Prevention 2,194 It seeks to clarify the fate of missing persons and to ad- Cooperation with National Societies 1,869 dress the needs of their families. It also monitors the General - situation of minority communities, IDPs and returnees fac- ing security problems and, if necessary, lobbies the au- Total 8,853 thorities concerned to respond to their needs. Throughout Of which: Overheads 540 the region, the ICRC visits detainees, works with the au- thorities and civil society to promote IHL, and supports the PERSONNEL development of the National Societies. Expatriates 13 National staff (daily workers not included) 78

ANKARA

BUDGET IN KCHF On the basis of an agreement with the Turkish authorities Protection 81 and in direct relation to the armed conflict in neighbouring Assistance - Iraq, the ICRC opened a temporary mission in Ankara in Prevention 894 April 2003. ICRC activities in connection with the situation Cooperation with National Societies in Iraq focus mainly on protection issues. The mission in 118 Ankara also provides logistic support for ICRC assistance General - programmes in the region. Other ICRC activities in Turkey Total 1,093 include supporting the authorities in the promotion of IHL Of which: Overheads 67 and assisting the armed forces in integrating IHL into their training programmes. In addition, the ICRC conducts a PERSONNEL number of joint programmes with the Turkish Red Cres- Expatriates 2 cent Society. National staff (daily workers not included) 4

BRUSSELS COVERING: Institutions of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), NATO, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and key armed forces in Western Europe

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been working in Brussels since 1999, Protection - building strong institutional and operational relations with Assistance - European Union institutions, the Council of Europe, the Prevention 2,744 OSCE, and NATO and its Parliamentary Assembly. It is Cooperation with National Societies 192 expanding its sphere of activity to include key armed General 51 forces based in Western Europe. Its aim is to make the ICRC's mandate better known, mobilize political, diplo- Total 2,987 matic and financial support for its activities and ensure Of which: Overheads 182 that relevant military decision-makers in Western Europe view the ICRC as the main reference point for neutral and PERSONNEL independent humanitarian action. Expatriates 2 National staff (daily workers not included) 11

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 43 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

INTERNATIONAL TRACING SERVICE

BUDGET IN KCHF The International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen, Protection 609 Germany, serves the victims of Nazi persecution and their Assistance - families by documenting their fate through the archives it Prevention 189 manages. The ITS preserves these historical records and Cooperation with National Societies makes them available for research. The ITS is governed - under the 1955 Bonn Agreements and its 2006 Protocol General - by the 11-member International Commission for the Inter- Total 798 national Tracing Service (Belgium, France, Germany, Of which: Overheads 49 Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, PERSONNEL and the United States of America). The ICRC manages Expatriates 2 the ITS on behalf of the International Commission. National staff (daily workers not included) -

LONDON

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 6 Set up in 2003 as a communication hub for the ICRC Assistance - worldwide, the London office, in cooperation with the Brit- Prevention 576 ish Red Cross, has since focused on pursuing humanitar- Cooperation with National Societies ian diplomacy and facilitating ICRC operations in the field. 147 Its target audiences include the British authorities and General - armed forces, members of parliament, think-tanks and Total 729 major international NGOs. Through such contacts, the Of which: Overheads 44 ICRC seeks to improve understanding of and secure broad support for IHL and ICRC and Movement opera- PERSONNEL tions. Expatriates 1 National staff (daily workers not included) -

PARIS

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 69 Assistance - The Paris delegation, set up in 2000, focuses on promot- Prevention 1,221 ing IHL, pursuing humanitarian diplomacy and facilitating Cooperation with National Societies 54 ICRC operations in the field. Its target audiences include General - the French authorities, military and academic circles, the diplomatic community, representatives of third countries, Total 1,344 economic interest groups, the media, and the French Red Of which: Overheads 82 Cross. PERSONNEL Expatriates 1 National staff (daily workers not included) 4

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 44 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

COLOMBIA

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been working in Colombia since 1969, Protection 6,699 striving to protect and assist victims of the armed conflict, Assistance 25,042 to secure greater compliance with IHL by all weapon Prevention 5,429 bearers, and to promote integration of IHL into the armed Cooperation with National Societies forces’ doctrine, training and operations. The ICRC also 1,404 visits security detainees. For IDPs and conflict-affected General - residents, it provides relief, helps ensure access to health Total 38,574 care, and carries out small-scale repairs to infrastructure. Of which: Overheads 2,354 It also runs a comprehensive mine-action programme, which includes mine-risk education and physical rehabili- PERSONNEL tation for victims. It works closely with the National Soci- Expatriates 60 ety and other Movement components active in Colombia. National staff (daily workers not included) 277

HAITI

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC's involvement in Haiti began in 1994, when it Protection 1,273 started visiting detainees falling within its mandate. Haiti Assistance 3,585 became a fully-fledged delegation in February 2004 when Prevention 957 armed conflict broke out. While the conflict ended in 2007, Cooperation with National Societies given the persisting violence, the ICRC continues its hu- 516 manitarian endeavours there. It focuses on implementing General - protection activities for detainees and civilians, ensures Total 6,331 that people wounded as a result of violence have access Of which: Overheads 386 to medical services, and improves water and sanitation in violence-prone shantytowns. It contributes, along with PERSONNEL other Movement partners, to strengthening the emer- Expatriates 11 gency response capacity of the Haitian Red Cross. National staff (daily workers not included) 58

BUENOS AIRES (REGIONAL) COVERING: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

BUDGET IN KCHF From its Buenos Aires regional delegation, established in Protection 1,107 1975, the ICRC visits security detainees in Chile and Assistance 1,235 Paraguay and monitors the situation in selected prisons in Prevention 2,206 Brazil. It also responds to situations of internal strife and Cooperation with National Societies social unrest, often in conjunction with the region’s Na- 877 tional Societies, which it supports in developing the ca- General - pacity to act in such situations, particularly in Brazil, Chile Total 5,425 and Paraguay. It promotes the incorporation of IHL into Of which: Overheads 331 national legislation and into the doctrine and training of the armed forces. Similarly, it works with police forces on PERSONNEL the integration of human rights law applicable to the use Expatriates 5 of force. National staff (daily workers not included) 32

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 45 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

CARACAS (REGIONAL) COVERING: Suriname, Venezuela and the English-speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago

BUDGET IN KCHF The Caracas regional delegation was first established in Protection 207 1971. It focuses on promoting the incorporation of IHL into Assistance - national legislation, into the operational procedures and Prevention 1,681 training of the region’s armed forces and into the curricula Cooperation with National Societies 437 of academic institutions, as well as the inclusion of human General - rights standards in police manuals and training. It rein- forces the capacities of the region’s National Societies in Total 2,325 the fields of IHL promotion, restoring family links, and as- Of which: Overheads 142 sistance to victims of violence. It also monitors the hu- manitarian situation along the Venezuelan border with Co- PERSONNEL lombia. Expatriates 2 National staff (daily workers not included) 11

LIMA (REGIONAL) COVERING: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru

The delegation in Lima opened in 1984, becoming a re- BUDGET IN KCHF gional delegation in 2003. The ICRC visits detainees, en- Protection 1,508 deavours to ascertain the fate of missing persons, assists Assistance 373 people affected by the lingering consequences of the for- Prevention 1,858 mer conflict in Peru, and monitors the humanitarian situa- Cooperation with National Societies 725 tion along the Ecuadorian border with Colombia. It devel- General - ops its own activities and reinforces the capacities of the region's National Societies to respond to situations of in- Total 4,464 ternal strife, and helps police forces integrate into their Of which: Overheads 272 doctrine, training and operations human rights norms ap- plicable to the use of force. It promotes the incorporation PERSONNEL of IHL into national legislation and into the doctrine, train- Expatriates 7 ing and operations of the armed forces. National staff (daily workers not included) 33

MEXICO CITY (REGIONAL) COVERING: Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama

The Mexico delegation opened in 1998, becoming a re- BUDGET IN KCHF gional delegation in 2002. It strengthens the tracing and Protection 1,378 dissemination capacities of the region's National Socie- Assistance 224 ties, assists Colombian refugees in Panama's Darién re- Prevention 2,968 gion and the local populations hosting them, monitors the Cooperation with National Societies 867 conditions of detainees in Mexico and Panama, and en- General - deavours to ascertain the fate of missing persons, particu- larly in Guatemala. It also seeks to integrate IHL into aca- Total 5,436 demic curricula and into the doctrine and training of the Of which: Overheads 332 armed forces (and human rights norms applicable to the use of force in the case of the police). The delegation PERSONNEL hosts the Advisory Service on IHL for Latin America and Expatriates 7 the Caribbean. National staff (daily workers not included) 32

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 46 EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS

WASHINGTON (REGIONAL) COVERING: Canada, United States of America, Organization of American States

Established in 1995, the ICRC’s regional delegation in BUDGET IN KCHF Washington is a source of information for government of- Protection 1,828 ficials and relevant organizations, academic institutions Assistance - and other interested groups in the United States of Amer- Prevention 3,094 ica and Canada. The delegation heightens awareness of Cooperation with National Societies 1,392 the ICRC's mandate, mobilizes political and financial sup- General - port for ICRC activities and secures support for IHL im- plementation. Since 2002, the ICRC has been regularly Total 6,314 visiting people held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Of which: Overheads 385 Cuba, and Charleston Navy Brig, South Carolina. It also supports other delegations through ad hoc representa- PERSONNEL tions, meetings or networking. It works closely with the Expatriates 11 American and Canadian Red Cross Societies, focusing on National staff (daily workers not included) 18 their international activities and the promotion of IHL.

NEW YORK

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection - Assistance - The multiple tasks and activities of the UN often have im- Prevention 2,358 plications of a humanitarian nature. Operating since 1983, Cooperation with National Societies - the ICRC delegation to the UN serves as a support and a General - liaison for ICRC operational and legal initiatives. The dele- gation conveys the ICRC's viewpoint, keeps abreast of Total 2,358 trends and developments relating to humanitarian issues Of which: Overheads 144 and promotes IHL. PERSONNEL Expatriates 4 National staff (daily workers not included) 6

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 – PAGE 47

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

© ICRC

ALGERIA

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 987 Assistance The ICRC has been working in Algeria, with some inter- 54 ruptions, since the 1954–1962 Algerian war of independ- Prevention 582 ence. It carries out visits to people held in places of deten- Cooperation with National Societies 441 tion run by the Ministry of Justice and to people remanded General - in custody in police stations and gendarmeries. The ICRC Total 2,064 also works to promote IHL among Algerian civil society, Of which: Overheads 126 the authorities and the armed forces. The ICRC supports the Algerian Red Crescent's reform process, which re- sumed in 2007. PERSONNEL Expatriates 4 National staff (daily workers not included) 10

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 48 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

EGYPT

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been in Egypt, with some interruptions, Protection 270 since the beginning of the Second World War. The dele- Assistance - gation works primarily as a regional centre to promote the Prevention 866 national implementation of IHL and its incorporation into Cooperation with National Societies 211 military training and academic curricula in Egypt and General elsewhere in the Arab world. The Cairo-based regional - legal advisory, communication and documentation centre, Total 1,348 working in close cooperation with the League of Arab Of which: Overheads 82 States, plays an important role in this process. The ICRC supports the work of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society. PERSONNEL It has also expressed its interest in visiting people de- Expatriates 4 prived of their freedom in Egypt. National staff (daily workers not included) 34

IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Protection 1,480 some interruptions, since 1977. It continues work to clarify Assistance - the fate of POWs registered during the 1980–88 Iran-Iraq Prevention 1,395 war or identified through RCMs. It works to strengthen its Cooperation with National Societies 603 partnership with the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic General Republic of Iran, particularly in the fields of tracing, the - promotion of IHL, the implementation of the Exploring Total 3,478 Humanitarian Law programme and mine-risk education. Of which: Overheads 212 The Iranian committee for the implementation of IHL is an important partner in this process. The ICRC maintains a PERSONNEL logistical supply base in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Expatriates 4 support of ICRC operations in the region. National staff (daily workers not included) 49

IRAQ

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been present in Iraq since the outbreak of Protection 22,361 the Iran-Iraq war in 1980. In the current context, priority is Assistance 66,801 given to protection activities, with a particular focus on Prevention 5,574 persons detained/interned by the multinational forces in Cooperation with National Societies 1,146 Iraq and by the Iraqi authorities, and to providing the civil- General ian population affected by the armed conflict with emer- - gency assistance, either directly, or through partners, in- Total 95,882 cluding the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, whenever possi- Of which: Overheads 5,852 ble. Assistance activities include the provision of emer- gency relief, support to hospitals, emergency repair work PERSONNEL on health, water and sanitation infrastructure and restor- Expatriates 93 ing family links. National staff (daily workers not included) 531

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 49 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

ISRAEL, THE OCCUPIED AND AUTONOMOUS TERRITORIES

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 20,948 The ICRC has been present in Israel and the occupied Assistance and autonomous territories since the 1967 Arab-Israeli 39,132 war. It strives to ensure respect for IHL, in particular its Prevention 4,027 provisions relative to the protection of civilians living under Cooperation with National Societies 3,189 occupation. It monitors the treatment and living conditions General - of detainees held by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities Total 67,295 and provides assistance to the Palestinian population. As Of which: Overheads 4,107 the lead agency for the Movement in this context, the ICRC coordinates the work of its Movement partners and supports the activities of the Palestine Red Crescent So- PERSONNEL ciety and the Magen David Adom. Expatriates 81 National staff (daily workers not included) 287

JORDAN

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 2,389 Assistance The ICRC has been present in Jordan since the 1967 - Arab-Israeli war. Its work there largely consists of visiting Prevention 1,492 detainees to monitor their treatment and conditions of de- Cooperation with National Societies 454 tention, providing tracing and RCM services to enable ci- General - vilians and foreign detainees to restore family links, and Total 4,334 promoting IHL throughout Jordanian society, in close co- Of which: Overheads 265 operation with the Jordan National Red Crescent Society. The delegation also provides logistical support to ICRC relief operations in the region. PERSONNEL Expatriates 22 National staff (daily workers not included) 123

LEBANON

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 1,842 The ICRC has been present in Lebanon since 1967. It Assistance 6,156 gives priority to providing protection and assistance to ci- Prevention 1,836 vilians affected by armed conflict, in close cooperation Cooperation with National Societies 1,912 with the Lebanese Red Cross Society. It seeks compli- General ance with IHL by the government and all political parties - and armed groups present in the country. The ICRC visits Total 11,747 detainees held by the Lebanese authorities to monitor Of which: Overheads 717 their living conditions and treatment. Restoring and main- taining links for people separated from members of their PERSONNEL families is also an ICRC priority. Expatriates 18 National staff (daily workers not included) 42

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 50 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

The ICRC has been present in the Syrian Arab Republic BUDGET IN KCHF since 1967. It acts as a neutral intermediary regarding is- Protection 322 sues of humanitarian concern for the Syrian inhabitants of Assistance - the part of the Golan occupied by Israel. It facilitates travel Prevention 557 of certain categories of people, such as students and pil- Cooperation with National Societies 530 grims, between the occupied Golan and the Syrian Arab General - Republic, and maintains links between family members separated as a result of the conflict with Israel. Its work to Total 1,410 spread knowledge of IHL in government, military, aca- Of which: Overheads 86 demic and media circles, and its close cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, are other priorities. The PERSONNEL ICRC also strives to gain access to people detained in the Expatriates 3 Syrian Arab Republic to monitor their treatment and living National staff (daily workers not included) 11 conditions.

YEMEN

BUDGET IN KCHF The ICRC has been working in Yemen since the outbreak Protection 1,189 of the civil war in 1962. It works with the Yemeni Red Assistance 11,405 Crescent Society to assist the civilian population affected Prevention 1,152 by the hostilities in north Yemen. It seeks to resume visits Cooperation with National Societies 798 to detainees in accordance with its standard procedures. General It promotes the incorporation of IHL into national legisla- - tion and its introduction into school and university curric- Total 14,543 ula and into the training programmes of the armed and Of which: Overheads 888 police forces. Assistance is provided to physical rehabili- tation centres for the disabled. ICRC tracing activities en- PERSONNEL able refugees to restore family links and Yemeni nationals Expatriates 18 to locate and contact relatives detained/interned abroad. National staff (daily workers not included) 80

KUWAIT (REGIONAL) COVERING: the member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 727 The ICRC has been in Kuwait since the outbreak of the Assistance 1990–1991 Gulf War. Its presence in the region is linked - to humanitarian issues still outstanding from that war and Prevention 1,006 those arising from the current armed conflict in Iraq, as Cooperation with National Societies 502 well as to work relating to people deprived of their free- General 345 dom in the GCC member States. In addition, the ICRC fo- Total 2,579 cuses on promoting IHL and its own role as a neutral and Of which: Overheads 157 independent humanitarian organization working in areas of armed conflict and other situations of internal violence. Reinforcing cooperation with the National Red Crescent PERSONNEL Societies of the region is another priority. Expatriates 3 National staff (daily workers not included) 20

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 51 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

TUNIS (REGIONAL) COVERING: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Morocco/Western Sahara, Tunisia

BUDGET IN KCHF Protection 2,742 The regional delegation based in Tunis, which has been Assistance operating since 1987, regularly visits people deprived of 671 their freedom in Mauritania and Tunisia to monitor their Prevention 1,726 treatment and conditions of detention. Acting as a neutral Cooperation with National Societies 687 intermediary, it is also involved in efforts to resolve issues General - of humanitarian concern arising from the aftermath of the Total 5,826 Western Sahara conflict. It works to promote implementa- Of which: Overheads 356 tion of IHL by the authorities and its integration into school and university curricula and into training programmes for the armed forces. National Societies and the media in the PERSONNEL region are essential partners in this process. Expatriates 17 National staff (daily workers not included) 40

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 52

ANNEX The ICRC’s operational approach to women and girls Background and approach Civilians People deprived of their freedom Wounded and sick Authorities, armed forces and other bearers of weapons, civil society Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

THE ICRC’S OPERATIONAL APPROACH TO WOMEN AND GIRLS

BACKGROUND AND APPROACH The ICRC’s main objective is therefore to ensure that the needs, situations and perspectives of women and girls are Owing to its unique mandate, the ICRC implements an integrated into all activities and programmes, and that “all victims” approach aimed at protecting the life and special programmes are developed when necessary to re- dignity of victims of armed conflict and providing them spond adequately to their specific social, medical, psycho- with assistance. Within this approach, the ICRC acknowl- logical, economic and protection needs. edges that women’s experience of war is multifaceted (separation, loss of loved ones, loss of sources of liveli- Recognizing that armed conflicts have a different impact hood and coping mechanisms, increased risks of sexual on men, women, children and the elderly, and that the violence, greater responsibility for dependents, wounding, needs of women are often overlooked, the ICRC pledged detention, even death) and often differs from that of men. in 1999 to better assess and address the needs of women The ICRC approaches gender as a means of fostering a and girls, and to promote the respect to which they are en- better understanding of the respective social and cultural titled, with a specific focus on situations involving sexual roles of men and women (such as division of labour, pro- violence. It launched a four-year “Women and War” pro- ductive and reproductive activities, access to and control ject (from 1999 to 2003), during which it conducted an in- over resources and benefits) and of the social and eco- depth study of the impact on women of armed conflict or nomic factors influencing them. It endeavours thereby to internal violence, focusing on issues such as physical obtain a more sensitive and holistic grasp of women’s safety, sexual violence, displacement, access to health roles, responsibilities and experience, and therefore to care and hygiene, food, water and shelter, and the prob- provide a more adequate response to their needs in times lem of missing relatives and its repercussions on survi- of conflict. In accordance with its principles of neutrality vors, and produced Addressing the needs of women af- and impartiality, the ICRC does not claim to reform gen- fected by armed conflict: an ICRC guidance document, to der relations. translate the study’s findings into practical guidelines for staff involved in the planning and implementation of hu- Often, women and children are lumped together in the manitarian programmes. At the end of the four years, the same category of vulnerability. Such hasty categorization ICRC renewed its commitment to the issue by appointing overlooks the fact that women’s needs, experiences and a focal point for the operational implementation of the roles in armed conflicts and situations of internal violence study’s findings and recommendations. differ from those of children and that women often dis- play remarkable strength, as evidenced by the part they In armed conflicts and other situations of violence, sexual play as combatants or agents for peace, or by the roles violence is a widespread phenomenon that affects mostly they assume in wartime to protect and support their fami- women and girls. The overall consequences are serious, lies. The relevant question is not who is more vulnerable but given that the stigma associated with sexual violence but rather who is vulnerable to what particular risks may prevent victims from coming forward, the true extent (which are context-related and depend on individual cir- of the problem is often concealed. It affects not only the cumstances, resources and available coping mechanisms). victims, but also their families, and sometimes entire Different groups face different factors of vulnerability and communities. The ICRC has therefore developed the it is an oversimplification to see one gender as active Frame of reference for sexual violence in armed conflict (male combatants) and the other as passive (female vic- and other situations of violence, which gives a compre- tims). hensive and detailed overview of the various aspects of sexual violence and defines the ICRC’s multidisciplinary approach to the problem. It encompasses preventive ac-

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 53 ANNEX: ICRC OPERATIONAL APPROACH TO WOMEN AND GIRLS tion, awareness-raising activities and protection strategies and their mothers and fathers, or their closest relatives, aimed at addressing the causes and consequences of sex- sought. ual violence while providing victims with timely medical X Working closely with the authorities concerned and and psychological support. other organizations active in child protection, the The development of the ICRC’s stance on women and ICRC pays special attention to the treatment of unac- war is reflected today in its operational strategies, pro- companied girls living in host or foster families; grammes and activities. whenever necessary, it directs them to the appropriate referral structures. Below is a description, by target population, of how X The ICRC advocates that children formerly associated ICRC programmes take into account the specific with fighting forces, in particular girls, be provided situations and needs of women and girls in times of with adequate care, in particular in disarmament, de- armed conflict. These descriptions are valid in any mobilization and reintegration processes. ICRC operation. They are not repeated explicitly un- der each context section, unless specifically required, X Family reunifications are organized according to the but they may be cited to enhance understanding of the best interests of the child and only if all parties – the information therein. child and the family – want to be reunited. X Special attention is paid to the treatment of boys and CIVILIANS girls reunited with their families, and to how the chil- dren readapt to family life; whenever necessary the Protection families and the children concerned receive material Protecting the civilian population support and are directed to referral structures. The X The ICRC monitors the situation of individuals and children are often checked on several months after be- groups not or no longer taking part in hostilities, the ing reunited with their families to ensure that they do large majority of whom are women and their children. not face new protection problems, especially if they Where documented, allegations of abuse committed were formerly associated with fighting forces or are against women and girls, such as sexual violence and girls with children of their own. enforced enrolment by armed groups, are raised in the Missing persons ICRC’s discussions with all parties on alleged IHL X ICRC action in relation to missing persons benefits violations and the measures to be taken to stop them. mainly women as they are overwhelmingly the ones In some contexts, dialogue with women is possible left behind after a loved one has disappeared during an only owing to the presence of female ICRC staff, both armed conflict or other situation of violence. national and expatriate. X Whenever possible, the ICRC works closely with the X In addition to formal and informal oral and written relevant authorities and organizations to accelerate the representations to the authorities concerned about al- tracing process. It provides support for ante-mortem leged incidents, preventive dissemination activities are data collection and the forensic process, and covers conducted for all kinds of weapon bearers to raise the transport costs of families – mainly women – of their awareness of their responsibilities under IHL to the missing to visit mass graves or exhumation sites. protect and respect at all times, in particular, women On its website it updates and publishes lists of persons and children not taking part in hostilities. reported missing. It provides women with administra- Restoring family links tive help in dealing with matters of inheritance, pen- X Enabling women to restore and maintain contact with sions, legal status, custody of children and property their husbands and families contributes to their psy- rights. chological well-being and can also help ensure their X The ICRC organizes meetings with family associa- safety and the respect of others. In certain contexts, tions, whose members are chiefly women, to ensure where for social and cultural reasons women are less that their interests are represented in various fora and visible or less accessible, awareness-raising sessions provides the associations with financial and technical to promote existing tracing services are held specifi- support. cally for women. X Directly or through associations or institutions, the X The ICRC family reunification programme aims to re- ICRC contributes towards the psychological support unite vulnerable people with their families, including of relatives of missing persons, principally women and children with their mothers, thus preserving the family their children, and towards their education and occu- unit. Similarly, when organizing repatriations, the pational training. ICRC pays special attention to enabling families to X It also encourages governments to enact or implement stay together, with particular emphasis on keeping legislation to prevent people from becoming unac- children with their mothers. counted for (by establishing an information bureau, Unaccompanied girls/girls formerly associated with fight- for example), to ascertain the fate of missing persons ing forces through appropriate measures and to protect and sup- X Boys and girls who have become separated from their port the families – mainly women who have become parents, including those who have formerly been asso- heads of household, and children – of those who are ciated with fighting forces, are registered by the ICRC missing, notably by making it easier for them to un- dertake legal proceedings.

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Assistance search of firewood, thus leaving them more time for Economic security – emergency aid: food and essential other household tasks and reducing their risk of being household items attacked. X When distributing aid, the ICRC gives priority to the X As women are in charge of the water resources and most vulnerable households, many of which have been bear most of the burden for the household in many deprived of their main breadwinner and are headed by contexts, ICRC engineers systematically involve them women. Women and girls are often, therefore, the in the design, implementation and management of wa- main beneficiaries of the relief provided to IDPs, re- ter and habitat projects. turnees and residents. Health care X If the need exists, the ICRC provides food rations and X The majority of the people treated in outpatient de- essential household items, such as blankets, tarpaulins, partments and referral hospitals in violence-affected jerrycans, kitchen sets and hygiene kits, to enable areas are women and children, and thus are the main women to take care of their families. Other items, such beneficiaries of ICRC support to such facilities, which as clothes or fabric to make clothing, are also distrib- provide comprehensive reproductive health and deliv- uted according to need. ery services and care for children under five. X ICRC food parcels in the Middle East include baby X In many contexts where there are not enough skilled food. birth attendants to cover the population’s needs, the X Hygiene kits increasingly include specific products for ICRC trains traditional birth attendants/midwives in women and their children, such as culturally adapted ante and post-natal care, in the identification of at-risk sanitary materials, baby powder or washable cotton mothers, in skilled attendance for home delivery and and plastic nappies. in the management of complications. The birth atten- dants/midwives also play a decisive role in health Economic security – livelihood support education (basic care and breastfeeding and the pre- X In addition to providing relief, the ICRC also aims to vention of sexually transmitted diseases, including help destitute or very poor families, very often mainly HIV/AIDS). In some contexts they also receive in- households headed by women or girls, recover their struction in how to identify victims of sexual violence ability to earn a living. Its micro-economic initiatives and refer them promptly to appropriate medical ser- provide victims of sexual violence who have lost their vices. sources of livelihood and victims of conflict, such as X In contexts where sexual violence is a major problem, widows and the wives of missing persons, with social the ICRC provides post-rape kits to ICRC-supported and economic support. hospitals and health centres and runs training courses X Livelihood support programmes help women and girls enabling health staff working in those facilities to treat in their endeavour to ensure the family’s self- victims effectively. sufficiency. Seed and tool distributions, livestock re- X Local volunteers offering support for victims of sexual plenishment and vaccination, cash-for-work projects violence at community level are trained in counselling to rehabilitate community infrastructure, grants or ma- techniques, so that they can offer reassuring support to terial inputs (e.g. sewing machines, donkey carts, flour the victims and help them search for solutions. They mills, oil presses, brick-making machines, irrigation are also taught mediation skills, enabling them to fa- pumps), to give but a few examples, directly improve cilitate the reintegration of victims of sexual violence, the standard of living of many women and their chil- who are often rejected by their families and communi- dren by helping women jump-start an income- ties. generating activity. X Women and children are the primary target of health X Occupational training often forms part of livelihood and hygiene promotion sessions. Most of the time, for support programmes. Particular attention is paid to in- social and cultural reasons, the ICRC uses teams of creasing the participation of women, who perform female health and hygiene promoters, who are espe- most of the activities that provide the household with cially trained for this task. The teams also play a cru- food or income. cial role in raising awareness among women, espe- Water supply, sanitation and shelter cially pregnant women and those with small children, X ICRC water, sanitation and habitat projects (trucking of how malaria is transmitted, and distribute mosquito of clean drinking water during emergencies; rehabili- nets to help contain the spread of the disease. tation or building of water sources and infrastructure) X ICRC support for immunization programmes (cold give displaced and resident women safe access to a chain, transport, supervision) run by governments, source of water for household purposes, ensure better NGOs or international organizations benefits mostly sanitation practices for the whole family, and free up women of child-bearing age and children under five, for other tasks time once spent fetching water. They who receive vital vaccinations against, for example, also reduce the incidence of sickness caused by inade- tetanus and polio. quate hygiene and prevent long journeys to water X In emergencies, the ICRC may also support therapeu- points during which the women may be at risk of at- tic feeding centres to help malnourished children and tack. their mothers. X In some contexts, the provision of fuel-saving stoves reduces the need for women and girls to go out in

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Prevention Assistance Mine action X ICRC assistance programmes for detainees are X Mine-risk education sessions target primarily children, adapted to the specific needs of women and girls but also women. They are conducted in schools, whenever necessary. For example, women detainees places of prayer or/and community forums and aim to may receive female hygiene items, clothing and rec- ensure the safety of civilians by informing them of the reational materials for themselves and for their chil- dangers of mines. dren. Occupational training (in sewing, weaving, liter- acy, for example) aims to break the isolation of im- X Communities are given support to create safe, mine- prisoned women and improve their prospects for rein- free play areas for their children. tegration into society after release. PEOPLE DEPRIVED OF THEIR FREEDOM Water and habitat X As part of its efforts to improve environmental health Protection conditions for detainees, the ICRC often carries out X During its visits to people deprived of their freedom, maintenance, rehabilitation or construction projects in the ICRC pays special attention to the conditions of places of detention. These projects always take into detention of any women or girls being held, in particu- consideration the needs of women and children, such lar to their accommodation, which should include as separate accommodation for men and women, sepa- dedicated cells and sanitation facilities, and their ac- rate access to toilets and showers and adequate facili- cess to health services, including to female nurses and ties for women with babies and/or small children. gynaecological care when needed. It drafts its confi- dential reports and recommendations to the authorities WOUNDED AND SICK concerned accordingly. Assistance X As far as possible, ICRC delegates and translators vis- iting places of detention do so in mixed teams, as Medical care these are perceived to be more approachable and bet- X Women and children have priority in operations to ter able to assess thoroughly the needs of all persons evacuate the wounded and sick from areas affected by detained. fighting. X As infants often stay with their detained mothers, their X The specific needs of women and girls are included in needs are also addressed, in terms, for example, of training in first aid and medical evacuations and the food, health care, clothing and play. support provided to ambulance services. X In certain societies, women who are detained are often X ICRC support for hospitals focuses as a priority on ostracized and sometimes even abandoned by their emergency surgical, obstetric and paediatric services, families, especially when they are held for so-called as well as medical services for patients in general and moral offences. The ICRC places special emphasis on women in particular. This support may include the their plight in its dialogue with the relevant authorities provision of equipment, medical supplies and training, and in its assistance programmes. for example in obstetric surgery. X ICRC support for the penitentiary administration and Physical rehabilitation training for penitentiary staff (medical personnel in- X Women benefit from physical rehabilitation pro- cluded) encompasses, whenever relevant, action re- grammes supported by the ICRC. They may receive garding or consideration of the particular needs of artificial limbs, walking aids, wheelchairs and physio- women and children. therapy. The ICRC pays particular attention to ensur- X ICRC family-news services allow detained women in ing that women and men have equal access to physical particular to communicate with their families and de- rehabilitation programmes. tained men to communicate with their wives and X Where there are no female staff in a rehabilitation cen- mothers outside. This contributes to the psychological tre, the ICRC helps to train women, and may pay the well-being of all concerned. transportation costs for women and their dependants X The ICRC enables detained women to receive family to be treated in a centre with female staff. Many dis- visits and family members, who are mainly women abled women are also offered employment in ICRC- and children, to visit their detained relatives, either by run or ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation centres. organizing the visits itself or by covering the cost of X Women also benefit from projects – education, voca- transport. Family visits are not only essential for the tional training or micro-credit schemes – to help them psychological well-being both of the detainees and of reintegrate into society. their relatives outside, they are also a vital channel Water and habitat through which detainees obtain food and essential items. Family visits can also help ensure respect from X The renovation or construction of health facilities such other detainees, as women who receive no visits may as hospitals, health centres and physical rehabilitation become more vulnerable to prostitution or sexual ex- centres always takes into account the specific needs of ploitation and abuse. women and children. In most cases, women and chil- dren are given special accommodation in line with lo- cal customs and international standards.

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AUTHORITIES, ARMED FORCES AND OTHER RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT BEARERS OF WEAPONS, CIVIL SOCIETY MOVEMENT Prevention Cooperation X Preventive activities targeting political authorities, National Societies armed forces, other bearers of weapons and civil soci- X The ICRC provides support for the development of ety (e.g. the media, schools, universities, NGOs) al- National Society tracing, first-aid and emergency- ways emphasize the need to take measures to respect preparedness capacities, the better to enable National the physical integrity and dignity of all people who are Society staff and volunteers to meet the specific needs not, or no longer, participating in the armed conflict or of women in situations of armed conflict or internal other situation of violence. The target groups are sys- violence. It provides training in the Safer Access ap- tematically made aware that not only do women and proach, including the analysis of risk and vulnerability children (those under 18 years) more often than not factors affecting National Society staff and volunteers, form the majority of that group, their position in soci- such as the participation of female workers in certain ety may make them particularly vulnerable and their operations. specific needs must be recognized and addressed. De- ICRC employment policy pending on the target group, preventive activities com- prise highlighting the existing provisions of IHL that X The ICRC’s employment policy promotes equitable focus on women, examining legal and practical meas- conditions for male and female staff through gender ures to protect women from abuse and meet their spe- mainstreaming and affirmative action. The ICRC be- cific needs, and case studies. lieves there is a strong link between the improvement of women’s status within the organization and pro- X The ICRC endeavours to raise awareness of the situa- gress in the protection of and delivery of assistance to tion of women affected by armed conflict and internal women in situations of armed conflict or internal vio- disturbances – and of the international law that ac- lence. cords them protection – among governments, repre- sentatives of the diplomatic, political, military and X The ICRC has improved its staff training courses by academic communities, international organizations adding key messages consistent with the policies, rec- and NGOs. It is often invited to speak about the issue ommendations and guidelines relative to women af- at relevant conferences hosted by donors and regional fected by armed conflict and internal disturbances, in- organizations. The ICRC also provides input when cluding those related to specific issues, such as sexual new international resolutions and policies are drafted violence, and by disseminating the ICRC guidance and encourages their enforcement. document. Role playing, which is part of the introduc- tory training course for new delegates, highlights spe- X The ICRC makes a particular effort to engage with cific aspects related to women and war. different sectors of society and circles of influence, in- cluding women’s associations or networks, to help X In carrying out its activities, the ICRC encourages the sustain the organization’s activities for victims of con- use of teams that comprise both men and women. It flict. also promotes the participation of local women as a means of fostering direct contact and dialogue with women, the better to define and respond to their needs.

ICRC OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS 2009 — PAGE 57 mission

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Movement in armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

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