On behalf of my colleagues, the members in the Standing Commission, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you, to this Council of Delegates, on the eve of the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This is a meeting of the Movement. We come together here as a family, all around the same table – the ICRC the Federation, all National Societies. On Monday, we are joined by our perhaps most important partners, the governments at a Conference, which will stake out our path for action for years to come. As always, its agenda is comprehensive and topical, seeking to address issues that are truly of joint humanitarian concern. I would like to reflect a moment on the word Movement.
The Oxford dictionary gives interesting definitions: an act of moving but also general activity or bustle and – often with modifier – a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas and even as a campaign undertaken by a political, social, or artistic movement. Interesting words – working together to advance shared ideas. Our Red Cross/Red Crescent certainly fulfils these criteria of a Movement! The word implies action, something happening, moving. Again, I believe that’s what the RCRC is all about: helping, delivering, supporting, building, advocating.
Is Movement a synonym for an organization? Hardly; most would probably disagree. I do, however, firmly believe that the Movement can act as an organisation – at its best. That is, when we coordinate our cooperation in joint operations, when we act together to deliver emergency response, when we lobby for recognition of our role and mandate towards governments, when we advocate for human and humanitarian values. Then we are seen as one. Perception is also reality, as an old familiar saying goes. In our case, the perception is that the RCRC is one, it is the ‘common good’, one of the best known brands in the world, which is always there when needed, in disasters and conflicts but also in local and even individual situations of need.
We are proud of being part of a global Movement, which reaches widely and deeply. We are present all over; it is even a condition for recognition that we cover the entire territory of our home nation. How do we use this presence when facing an ever changing environment? Can we adapt to new developments and needs? Do we know what awaits us behind the bend? Traditional patterns are changing; we cannot solve tomorrow’s problems with answers from yesterday. ‘Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future’, said Peter Drucker already early in the previous century.
He is the man who has been credited with inventing management. In spite of the Council working only today, we have important items on the agenda: We are asked to define a Movement position on nuclear weapons and parameters for our cooperation with other, external humanitarian organisations; to adopt guidance for National Societies in armed conflict and other situations of violence and to consider the evaluation of the Strategy for the Movement and its recommendations for the incoming, new Standing Commission, which takes up its mandate at the end of the Conference next week. The implementation of the MoU between the MDA in Israel and the Palestine Red Crescent is also an issue on our agenda before continuing to the Conference floor.
We will hear from the Monitor, Pär Stenbäck, and his latest findings from a recent mission to the region to see developments before presenting his conclusions. We have all through had concerns regarding progress achieved towards full implementation of the MoU, partly also raised and shared by the government members of the Conference. I sincerely hope that Mr Stenbäck today can report such progress that we could erase this issue from the agendas of future statutory meetings, not least because of the enormous humanitarian needs the two Societies face in their immediate environment and because we, as a Movement, must be able to focus and concentrate on our main mission – to deliver effective humanitarian assistance to those in need, wherever that may be. Before moving on to the Conference, where we are expected to speak with one voice as a Movement, I would like to share a concern I feel has its impact on the Movement – or on the Movement I would like to see.
I’m at times asking myself, are we really working as a Movement, as one? Or do we prefer to work as independent actors, almost as independent NGOs, favouring our own agendas, which may be influenced by various national interests? A National Society can be strong internationally only if it is strong nationally. The national context is, and has to remain, the deciding reality upon which a National Society bases its work. When working internationally, we should, however, seek to work and deliver as one. It may at times mean difficult coordination issues, or difficult cooperation challenges. They should not be ignored; they are part of the reality in which we work. But I do feel sometimes that we need more effort to ensure that we analyse the situations jointly and deliver our response based on joint priorities and aims. That we work as a Movement. However, ‘never mistake a clear view for a short distance’ – as I recently read somewhere.
It requires a real effort to get there. I’m sure we all want to remain the major humanitarian force in the world and to continue to be perceived as such. To be successful in that, we have to re-invigorate our Fundamental Principles in addition to working better together and to deliver better services. Our principles are not for sale, not even to the highest bidder – not even to our governments. This we have to keep in mind also when we aim to be the main auxiliary to public authorities in the humanitarian field – national and international. We do share concerns about independent humanitarian action and access to all victims, which we will debate further at the Conference in the coming days. It is a joint responsibility of all components to ensure that in our work and performance we stay true to the principles – especially when it comes to independence, impartiality and neutrality – in the interest of independent humanitarian action, which is our most valued trade mark.
The Conference next week will concentrate on two main blocs: to strengthen International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and humanitarian action, in particular, local humanitarian action. In spite of being the world’s widest humanitarian Movement, basing its actions on volunteers, we have not before discussed volunteerism at a Conference. Now we will have that opportunity, to seek from states due recognition of the value of volunteer work and better protection along with a better enabling working environment for our volunteers.
The world is impressed by our volunteers, who are highly motivated, committed and driven by their belief in the humanitarian principles and values. This is where our strength lies. Without them we would be nothing. Honouring their work, I would like us to remember and pay respect to all staff and volunteers, who have paid with their lives whilst in the service of humanity. Every life lost is one too many. They are a sad reminder of the cruel world we live in and of the often very dangerous circumstances we operate in. I ask you to rise for a moment of silence, in remembrance of those brave individuals. …………………….. Thank you. International Humanitarian Law was originally the raison d’etre for the International Conferences.
It continues to be at the core of the issues to be discussed, with ICRC and its specific mandate providing the lead. IHL is also facing new challenges. The nature of war and conflict has dramatically changed, as you all have seen, and sadly many of you have experienced firsthand. New phenomena are involved and it is more urgent than ever to forcefully reaffirm the basic rules of IHL and their applicability in today’s complex and changing conflict environment. Some things don’t change, or should not be allowed to change; among them are the core humanitarian values embedded in IHL. Our Movement has to stand firm in defending those values, at the Conference and in our everyday work.
Our message to the world is unchanged: the Conventions still protect victims of war and are as necessary and relevant today as at their origin. They have saved numerous lives, alleviated much suffering, given comfort to thousands of prisoners of war, helped reunite millions of families and contributed to the restoration of peace. Humanitarian work is not without its problems, as you know. The competition is tough out there and it seems that the needs are always surpassing our resources. Today’s financial crisis is not boding well for our work and efforts. We have to prepare ourselves for diminishing support from both governments and the public at large. One way to combat that trend is make ourselves indispensable; to ensure that our actions live up to our image; that we continue to be the most effective and efficient operator, working as one and adhering to non-compromised principles and rules. Good internal cooperation is essential to prevent us from becoming our own enemies and to ensure that the Movement and its components can play the role of preferred partner both to the UN and governments – not closing any doors for cooperation with others, especially the NGO world.
The expression “humanitarian market” seems less suitable to us; our work cannot be compared to a market where actors compete in their own interests to the detriment of other actors. Our humanitarian space is affected by enormous needs, which can never be completely met, not even by synchronising the best efforts of all the actors. Being the greatest and most important humanitarian organisation is both an honour and a burden for us. The responsibility to create a favourable atmosphere for cooperation among all the actors engaged in alleviating human suffering is basically in our hands. In our globalised world it is not conceivable to act alone. Interconnection among different bodies, more and more frenetic thanks to the new means of communication, becomes vitally important.
If in the past we gave the impression of a Red Cross/Red Crescent isolated in its own ivory tower, today it is up to us to take the initiative to work with others, particularly with the NGO –network, provided of course that our partners unconditionally respect our Fundamental Principles. In conclusion, let’s look to the future because that’s where we’re going to spend the rest of our lives, to paraphrase George Burns. We are a global Movement but also, at the same time, local actors. Our impact is felt at grassroots level but can also help shape thinking nationally, regionally and even internationally through advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy, through promoting our values and speaking for the most vulnerable people the world over. That’s where we add most value, that’s where we have to keep our focus. The slogan “Think globally, act locally” applies well also to us.
Thank you.