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section_protection

Section
Protecting people affected by war: an ICRC priority
Section covers work on behalf of people caught up in war. Access to sections on: civilians, prisoners of war, detainees and civilian internees; re-establishing contact between families split up by war and tracing missing persons. Information on training for humanitarian professionals.

People in the midst of conflict need protection. The ICRC seeks to provide it by ensuring respect for international humanitarian law: minimizing the dangers to which people are exposed, preventing or putting a stop to violations committed against them, upholding their rights, making their voices heard and providing them with support.

The ICRC works on behalf of civilians and prisoners/detainees (detention). The organization helps restore family links between people affected by conflict: each year, hundreds of thousands of people are concerned.

Key document
    28-5-2009
    A ten-year strategy to strengthen the restoration of family links
    War, disasters and migration split up many thousands of families. The suffering created by such situations is not always visible to others. This global problem is mostly a silent tragedy. Olivier Dubois, deputy head of the Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division of the ICRC, discusses assistance given to family members separated by such events.
    (ICRC Activities\Protection\Restoring family links)
    Interview Includes Photo

    30-9-2008
    ICRC Protection Policy
    This policy document begins by defining key notions and describing the framework for action. It then outlines the principles of the ICRC’s protection framework, as well as the operational guidelines based on that framework. The document concludes by describing different types of ICRC protection activity and outlining specific considerations related to the various categories of beneficiary.
    (Info resources\International Review\2008 - No. 871)
    International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF

    30-6-2002
    ICRC position on hostage-taking
    These guidelines set out the ICRC’s position with regard to hostage-taking in situations in connection with which it is conducting operations.
    (Info resources\International Review\2002 - No. 846)
    International Review of the Red Cross

Annual Report
    27-5-2009
    Central tracing agency and protection: extract from ICRC Annual Report 2008
    The Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division provides strategic support and professional expertise to field operations in three areas of activity – protection of the civilian population, protection of people deprived of their freedom and restoring family links; the latter also covers activities relating to missing persons and their families.
    (ICRC Activities\Protection)
    Annual Report

ICRC Publication
    6-10-2008
    Enhancing protection for civilians in armed conflict and other situations of violence
    This brochure explains how the ICRC works to protect civilians in armed conflict and other situations of violence, proposing a step-by-step, multidisciplinary approach. The first chapter focuses on the preliminary analysis of protection problems affecting a given population. The second introduces a classification of ICRC protection activities for civilians. The third and final chapter covers issues of interest to organizations that deal with protection data.
    (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection)
    ICRC Publication Includes PDF

    31-12-2001
    Strengthening protection in war: a search for professional standards
    This volume presents the results of workshops on protecting civilians in armed conflict and situations of internal violence that have been organized by the ICRC over the last four years. It includes contributions by over 100 professionals from 50 different organizations. Its aim is to promote shared principles and practices, and to raise the levels of professionalism and effectiveness in organizations working in the field of protection.
    (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Protection)
    ICRC publicationSylvie Giossi Caverzasio

Official Statement
    9-5-2007
    Protection of civilians in conflict - the ICRC perspective
    Address by Angelo Gnaedinger, ICRC Director-General, Humanitarian and Resident Coordinators' Retreat, Geneva, 9 May 2007
    (ICRC Activities\Protection\Civilian population)
    Official Statement

    30-8-2006
    Hoping against hope
    The ICRC calls for the adoption of an International Convention against Enforced Disappearances. Speech by Philip Spoerri, director of law, International Committee of the Red Cross.
    (Humanitarian law\Missing persons)
    Official Statement

Photo Collection
    27-11-2008
    Selection of photos 2008
    Photos illustrating ICRC activities around the world in 2008. The media is welcome to use these images, which can be downloaded at high resolution.
    (Info resources\Photos)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

    2-8-2005
    Nepal: working in the midst of conflict
    For nine years the civilian population has had no respite from the conflict between government forces and insurgents of the Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist (CPN-M). The ICRC has endeavoured to perform its task of looking after the welfare of people protected by international humanitarian law while drawing the attention of bearers of weapons to their obligations under that body of law.
    (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

Press article
    1-10-2005
    Protection of IDPs: an ICRC view
    IDPs are of primary concern to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Ensuring their protection lies at the core of its mandate, operational concerns and priorities - article published in Forced Migration review, IDP Supplement, October 2005. By the head of the Protection Division, ICRC.
    (ICRC Activities\Protection)
    Press articleAlain Aeschlimann Includes Photo

More in this section
    31-12-2005
    ICRC detention visits: ex-detainees share their experiences
    Visits by ICRC delegates to those deprived of their freedom during armed conflict have been made to people all over the world since the height of the First World War. Here, former detainees express their thoughts and feelings about the ICRC's role in letters, interviews, speeches and other written testimonies.
    (ICRC Activities\Protection\Detention)



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25-11-2009