SEVENTEENTH INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS CONFERENCE / STOCKHOLM 1948 / Colonel Howard S. Levie Collection The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School United States Army Charlottesville, Virginia PROPERTY OF u.s. AAMY THE JUDGE NN(X;ATE GENERAL'S 8CHOOL UBRARV SEVENTEENTH INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS CONFERENCE STOCKHOLM AUGUST 1948 IN TER ARM A CARITAS REPORT COUNT FOLKE BERNADOTTE Presidellt of /be XVIItb Illtemational Red Cross COI:(erence. lVlR PAUL RUECCER J\lR BASIL O'CONNOR Presidtl1! of !be fll!erllaliolla/ Red CroJJ Cbairll/all of Ib(' Board of GOl'tmon of !be COll/lllillee Leag!le oj Red CroJJ s'ocie!ie.r, Pres/dm! of !be Americall f\,-a/ioJla/ Red CroJS. THE SWEDISH PARLIA:vlENT Sea! of fbe COJlfereJlce ILLUSTRATIONS. Count Folke Bernadotte, President of the Swedish Red Cross, Chairman of the Conference. Mr P. Ruegger, President of the International Red Cross Committee. Mr Basil O'Connor, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the League of Red Cross Societies. The Swedish Parliament, Seat of the Conference. PART I. Page Preliminary Correspondence: Circulars of the Standing Commission and of the Swedish Red Cross Society . 3 Agenda .................................................................................... Program.................................................................................... 7 List of Delegates and invited Organizations: National Red Cross Societies and Governments ............................................. 8 International Red Cross Committee......................................................... 15 League of Red Cross Societies . I 5 International organisations . .. ., 16 Bureau of the Conference .. 18 Restricted Bureau 20 PART II. Board of Delegates . 2 I Opening of the Conference . 25 First Plenary Meeting . 29 Second Plenary Meeting . 37 Third Plenary Meeting . 46 Fourth Plenary Meeting. 55 Fifth Plenary Meeting .. 69 Sixth Plenary Meeting . 82 \~ PA~\\ III. Resolutions PART IV. List of Documents ....................................................................... 105 Index of Names ......................................................................... I I I 2--494236 I L i:\I: PART I (Translation) TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEES OF THE NATIONALRED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES Stockholm, June 1947. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, The XVIIth International Red Cross Conference which, in accordance with a decision taken by the London Conference in 1938, was to have taken place during the year 1942 in Stockholm had unfortunately to be off on ac­ count of the war. Until July 1946 it had not been possible to take any decision regarding the meeting of an International Con­ ference. On the occasion of the Preliminary Conference of Red Cross Societies at Geneva, the Standing Commis­ sion of the International Red Cross held two meetings; and it met on two further occasions in Paris, in November 1946 and in May 1947, at the time of the meetings of the League of Red Cross Societies. The Swedish Red Cross repeated to the Commission the offer previously made - that the XVIIth Interna­ tional Red Cross Conference should meet in Stockholm in 1948. This offer was accepted with appreciation by the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross. The Standing Commission expressed itself in agreement that the Conference should be held from 20th to 30th August 1948, and has pleasure in forwarding herewith a Draft Agenda prepared for your use. The national Societies are asked to be so good as to study this document, and to forward any suggestions or observations they may wish to make to the Chairman of the Standing Commission before 1st September 1947. In regard to the Reports which national Societies may desire to submit to the Conference, the Societies are asked to conform to the precise instructions attached to the proposed Agenda. At the same time the Swedish Red Cross addresses an invitation to the Governments signatory to the Geneva Convention, asking them to arrange to be represented at the Conference by one or more Delegates. I am, Yours faithfully, COUNT FOLKE BERNADOTTE Chairman of the Standing Commission of the International Conference (Translation) TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEES OF NATIONAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES (1) Stockholm, July 1947. DEAR SIRS, It is with pleasure, in my capacity of President of the Swedish Red Cross, that I have been informed that the Standing Commission of the International Conference of the Red Cross, have accepted the proposal of our Society, to hold the XVII International Conference of the Red Cross in Stockholm, from August 20th to 30th, 1948. I have consequently the honour to invite your Society to nominate delegates to represent you at the XVII Conference. Attached please find the Agenda of the Conference, established by the Standing Commissiot)., and further, the instructions relating to reports which the National Societies may wish to submit to the Conference. I would appreciate if your Society would comply with these instructions. (1) International and swedish organisations invited to the Conference received similar letters. 3 I am forwarding to the Governements, signatories to the Geneva Conventions, an invitation to send delegates to represent them at the Conference. Later, the Swedish Red Cross will ask yuo to give us the names of the delegates who have been appointed to represent your Society at the XVII Conference of the Red Cross, at the same time, you will receive certain directives with a view to facilitate the Stockholm visit of your delegates. You can be assured that the Swedish Red Cross, being fully aware of the great honour to receive here the dele­ gates of National Societies from different countries, will do their very best to render the Stockholm stay of these delegates as agreeable and comfortable as possible. Yours very sincerely, FOLKE BERNADOTTE , President of the Swedish Red Cross (Translation) TO GOVERNMENTS, SIGNATORIES TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION Stockholm, July, 1947. YOUR EXCELLENCY, I have herewith the honour to inform Your Excellency that the Swedish Red Cross, in conformity with a decision of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross, will receive the XVII International Conference of the Red Cross in Stockholm from August 20th to 30th 1948. Your Excellency will, no doubt, remember that the XVI Conference was held in London, in June 1938. In compliance with the order of the Conference and by precedent usage established by previous Conferences I have the honour to invite your Government, as signatory to the Geneva Convention, to be represented at the Con­ ference in Stockholm, by one or several delegates. Attached please find a copy of the circular letter of invitation, sent by the Swedish Red Cross to the National Red Cross Societies. The Swedish Red Cross, being aware of the honour to receive this Conference, will be pleased to place at the disposal of the delegates all available facilities. FOLKE BERNADOTTE President of the Swedish Red Cross 4 AGENDA I PLENARY MEETINGS I. Election of the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Secretaries. II. Report of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross Conference. III. Appointment of Commissions of the Conference: a. General Commission; b. Legal Commission; c. Junior Red Cross Commission; d. Relief Commission; c. Health, Nursing and Social Assistance Commission; j. Drafting Committee. IV. Report of the General Commission. V. Report of the Legal Commission. VI. Report of the Junior Red Cross Commission. VII. Report of the Relief Commission. VIII. Report of the Health, Nursing and Social Assistance Commission. IX. Election of the Members of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross Conference for the period 1948/1952. X. Place and date of the XVlIIth International Red Cross Conference. II MEETINGS OF COMMISSIONS A. GENERAL COMMISSION I. Election of the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Rapporteurs and Secretaries. II. Reports of national Red Cross Societies. III. Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross. IV. Report of the League of Red Cross Societies. V. Report of the Joint Committee of the Empress Shaken Fund. VI. Report on the funds administered by the International Committee of the Red Cross: a. Allocation of the Income of the Augusta Fund; b. Florence Nightingale Medal. VII. Report of the Standing International Commission for the Study of Medical Material. VIII. Report of the Council of the Foundation for the International Committee of the Red Cross. IX. Report of the International Relief Union. X. Financing of the International Committee of the Red Cross. XI. Financing of the League of Red Cross Societies. XII. Financing of the Special Commissions set up by the International Red Cross Conference, or by other meet­ ings of the Red Cross. XIII. Teaching and Publicizing Red Cross Principles amongst Adults. XIV. Strengthening of the Constituent Organs of the International Red Cross and possible amendment of its Statutes. XV. Co-operation and relations bet'Yeen the national Societies and with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League in peace time and in war time. XVI. Relations of the Red Cross with the United Nations and other international organizations. XVII. The Red Cross and Peace. B. LEGAL COMMISSION I. Election of the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Rapporteurs and Secretaries. II. Relations between national Societies and their respective Governments in war time. III. Revision of the Geneva Conventions and drafting of the new Convention on the Protection of Civilians. 5 IV. Resolutions of the Preliminary Conference of national