icrc-annual-report-2013

the UN secretary-general’s report, as well as the presidential statementon protecting civilians in armed conflicts adopted by the UNSecurity Council, referred to the need for parties to armed conflictto respect medical personnel and facilities, in keeping with theirobligations under IHL.A separate report of the UN secretary-general on strengtheninghumanitarian coordination, as well as a related resolution adoptedby the UN General Assembly, used ICRC-suggested language andrecommendations on the protection of medical services, humanitarianaccess to people in need and other protection-related matters.Other resolutions – e.g. relating to peacekeeping and tovictims of sexual violence – were adopted, with ICRC input on IHLand the humanitarian impact of such issues.Throughout the year, the ICRC stressed the importance of regulatingthe trade and use of weapons; its efforts contributed to the UNGeneral Assembly’s adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty in April. Inthe run-up to and during the final diplomatic conference on thetreaty, ICRC input helped to strengthen the treaty’s IHL-relatedprovisions and to make its humanitarian concerns more explicit.Bilateral and group briefings for representatives of over 60 Statesstressed the importance of considering the humanitarian dimensionof the arms trade. In further support of regulating weaponuse, the ICRC vice-president appealed to States to end the use ofnuclear weapons when he spoke at an event on the sidelines of theGeneral Assembly session in September.The ICRC and the DPKO reinforced their cooperation, jointlyorganizing their fourth annual workshop. They brought each otherup to date on challenges and policy developments and discussedthe applicability of IHL to peacekeeping operations in specific contexts.The OLA participated in the workshop and set out the UN’slegal position.At the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention onEnforced Disappearance, States were encouraged to ratify and/or implement the Convention and were made aware of an ICRCdevelopedmodel law in this regard. The UN’s Rule of Law Unitsought the ICRC’s advice on following up on the pledges made byStates at the last high-level debate on the rule of law; they receivedinput based on the pledging system of the International Conference.Many officials received updates on the ICRC’s major operations;these briefings underscored the ICRC’s humanitarian concernsand the relevance of the organization’s neutral, impartial and independentapproach and its on-the-ground impact on operations.Diplomats and academics also learnt about the ICRC’s actionand the challenges affecting the wider humanitarian communitythrough the ICRC president’s participation in events hosted bythe International Peace Institute and the President of the SwissConfederation. Over 90 State representatives added to their knowledgeof IHL and ICRC operations at the 30th Annual Seminaron IHL for Diplomats co-organized by the New York UniversitySchool of Law and the ICRC.Humanitarian actors coordinate activitiesMeetings with the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee, at highand working levels, facilitated coordination of humanitarian activitiesand enabled the ICRC to monitor pertinent developments/policies, emphasize the importance of principled humanitarianaction, and declare its priorities and concerns. Regular contactswith Movement partners, NGOs, think-tanks and UN-affiliatedhumanitarian organizations enhanced understanding of eachother’s roles and positions on pertinent issues and of the ICRC’sdistinct mandate. Some organizations consulted the ICRC on IHLrelatedmatters.Dialogue with States and organizations of regional influenceexpanded as part of efforts to engage all stakeholders with bearingon humanitarian issues.Meanwhile, the aforementioned exchanges fed into the ICRC’sown analysis of thematic issues and operational concerns.Wider public learns about humanitarian principles andthe MovementUN-accredited media received ICRC press releases and publicationsto keep them updated on humanitarian and IHL-relateddevelopments, resulting in more accurate coverage of ICRC activities.Future lawyers, leaders and decision-makers enriched theirknowledge of IHL at briefings and panel discussions for graduatestudents at various universities. The delegation also increased itssocial media presence and broadened its targeted communicationinitiatives.ICRC president, other high-level officials highlightimportance of IHL in bilateral/multilateral eventsOver the course of several official missions to New York, theICRC’s president met senior UN officials and State representatives,including the entire Security Council, to discuss humanitarianissues/challenges, ICRC operations in contexts on the UN’sagenda, and the ICRC’s positions from a strictly humanitarianperspective. Other bilateral/multilateral interaction occurredbetween the ICRC and influential actors such as the UN secretariat,humanitarian focal points of member States and, on a monthlybasis, the rotating president of the Security Council. Such contacts,including those that took place at the margins of the GeneralAssembly session, helped enhance key actors’ understanding ofvarious issues from an IHL perspective and fostered their supportfor incorporating IHL and other matters of humanitarian concernin resolutions, reports and debates (see above).ICRC ANNUAL REPORT NEW YORK 2013 | 459