150th Anniversary of the Red Cross
Humanitarian aid – Finnish RC
01.10.2013
Christine Beerli
Vice-President
Presentation outline
 ICRC‘s role and identity
 The evolving nature of armed conflict
 Key operational challenges for the ICRC
ICRC role and identity
 Dual ambition :
- assist victims
- limit effects of
armed
conflict
 Active dialog and
engagement with
armed forces
 Special status
under international
law
The ICRC: 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 endeavors to prevent suffering by promoting
and strengthening humanitarian law and universal
humanitarian principles.
 Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva
Conventions and the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates the
international activities conducted by the Movement in
armed conflicts and other situations of violence.
International Red Cross / Red Crescent
Movement
 Victims of armed conflict
 Promote and develop IHL




Health and social work
Action in conflict and natural disaster
Promote volunteers and youth
(Finnish RC established 1877)
 Coordinating National Societies
 Natural disasters, health and social
crisis
International Red Cross / Red Crescent
Movement (Coordination of International activities)
Seville
Agreement
Armed conflict
(incl. natural disaster
in conflict situation)
ICRC
Lead Agency
National Society
Primary Partner
Natural Disaster,
Health outbreaks
and social crisis
(in peacetime)
National Society
Lead Agency
or Primary Partner of
International
Federation
as Lead Agency
Middle East and North Africa - Key trends in
armed conflicts and other situations of violence (1)
Live and cope with the unforeseeable
Leadership changes and elections
 Political upheavals and armed conflict
 Complexity and diversity of currents

Middle East and North Africa - Key trends in
armed conflicts and other situations of violence (1)
Live and cope with the unforeseeable
Syria - One of the most
tragic crisis in modern history
 100’000 reported dead,
0.5 mio Wounded, Over
4.3 mio IDPs, 2 mio refugees,
thousands of missing…
 Violations of IHL: widespread and systemic –
Protection Crisis
 Gap widens between needs and response
 Access, Security, Acceptance
 Economy severely weakened – local economies
 Increased spill over incidents & Refugee crisis
Exceptional Level of Humanitarian needs
Syrian Refugees
1’978’894
Updated 29.08.2013
Middle East and North Africa
Key trends in armed conflicts and other situations of violence (1)
From SAHEL to SOMALIA: radicalism, fragmentation and
regional instability
Protracted
Conflicts
Democratic Republic of Congo
Key trends in armed conflicts and other situations of violence (2)
Protracted conflicts and connection with resources
Afghanistan
Key operational challenges for the ICRC(2)
Protracted conflicts
Key trends in armed conflicts and
other situations of violence (3)
 When elections lead to violence
 „The fight against Al-Qaeda and its
affiliates“
 Climate change, displacement,
migration and violence
 Criminality and urban violence
Human insecurity and the nature of
vulnerability
 Direct and indirect effects – Acute and chronic needs
 Physical and mental effects
 Health Care in Danger (HCiD)
The evolving nature of armed conflict(1)
 Diversity of situations: majority internal conflicts
 Asymmetry of means and objectives
 Increase and diversity of non-state armed
groups
 Their tendency of fragment
Key operational challenges for the
ICRC(1)
 Scope of action and
challenges for access
 Security and perception
 Dialogue with all parties to a
conflict: „Why and what
for“?
 Demonstrating the addedvalue of neutrality and
independence
The ICRC and Finland - FinRC
 ICRC values cooperation with
FinRC
 Long tradition of cooperation in
the field of health and surgery
(Finnish health staff and
equipment): Khao-I-Dang,
Pakistan-Afghanistan, South
Sudan, Libya, etc.
 Making the link between
ICRC and the Finnish
government and general
public.
 Promoting Humanitarian
principles and IHL (cf.
“MoU Nordic NS on IHL
and NIIHA).
 Rapid Deployment agreement
capacity statement Health
THANK YOU