Florence Nightingale and Henry Dunant are two names which are associated in much that has been written about the Red Cross and army medical services. Only seldom are their outstanding personalities contrasted. Where does the truth lie? In similarity or difference? Let us try to sort things out.

It is a well known fact that the ICRC has embarked upon a new stage in the development of international humanitarian law, in accordance with the formal instructions received from the XXIst International Conference of the Red Cross, and for which purpose it convened preparatory meetings of experts. Following the Conference of Red Cross Experts at The Hague, a Conference of Government Experts was held in Geneva in 1971. The International Review gave a detailed account of the main subjects dealt with by the conference; at the time the ICRC published the report summing up the Conference proceedings.

It was 300 years ago, in 1673, that Cornelius van Bynkershoek, the great Dutch lawyer and author on public and international law, was born. It is proper to commemorate this jurist of great reputation as he was still called in 1812 by an American court. For the Red Cross, being a product and perhaps the most important instrument, to-day, of international humanitarian law, should not forget that one of its main sources lies in the doctrine of international law, or law of nations, as it was developed by the great authors of former days, the founders of international law. Although everyone will have in mind the name of Hugo Grotius, that of van Bynkershoek seems quite unknown. There may be some reason for this, but before trying to explain this anomaly we must try to get to know van Bynkershoek a little better.

An extraordinary plenary meeting of the ICRC at the end of June 1973 approved new Statutes which, consistent with the conclusions reached by an expert, Professor Rudolf Probst, Berne, provide for the work of the ICRC to be shared between two bodies, each having distinct responsibilities and its own President.

Since the ICRC started its action in the Asian sub-continent, the various tracing bureaux have transmitted more than 12,650,000 messages between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

From 8 to 15 November 1973, the XXIInd International Conference of the Red Cross met in Parliament Building, Teheran. It was attended by about 700 representatives of seventy-eight Governments, the ICRC, the League, ninety-eight National Societies, and by observers from some twenty international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

It gives us pleasure to publish extracts from a remarkable unpublished work by an Australian author, Ian Harding. In four chapters (Antiquity, Islam, Some European Developments, Henry Dunant) it covers the origins of the Geneva Conventions from ancient civilizations, and then goes on to explain their significance in international law and action (The Conventions, The Propositions, The Conclusions). The passages we quote below deal with the history of humanitarian ideas and the laborious efforts, repeated time and time again throughout the centuries, for the ever more effective protection of human dignity. (Ed.).

During the past few years, activities for the dissemination of international law applicable in armed conflicts have increased substantially. Yet there is no doubt that these efforts will have to be further intensified in order to reflect the increasing importance of humanitarian law in modern armed conflicts.

On 16 November 1972, an agreement on compensation for the Polish victims of pseudo-medical experiments carried out in Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War was signed by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the Polish People's Republic. In accordance with this agreement, which marks the end of the arrangement under which the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has paid more than DM 40 million to 1,357 Polish victims through the ICRC since 1961, the Federal Republic of Germany will pay an additional DM 100 million to the Polish Government.

As announced previously, the ICRC has drafted two Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949. These drafts are to be the basic working documents of the Diplomatic Conference to be held in Geneva from 20 February to 29 March 1974, and to which all signatories of the Conventions have been invited.

Last month we reproduced passages of the two volumes recently published by the ICRC on the work of the second session of the Conference of Government Experts which was held at Geneva from 3 May to 2 June 1972. The passages concerned were taken from the reports by Commissions II and III; the excerpts below are taken from the reports on the work of Commissions I and IV.

The bases for division had thus been clearly defined even before the amount of funds available for distribution was known. However, the number of claimants in each of the beneficiary countries had also to be determined so that the amount of the share for each individual and, consequently, the sum which the ICRC would have to pay to each of the national agencies, could be calculated.

ICRC delegates in Israel and the Arab countries have, in recent weeks, made several visits to prisoners of war. As usual, they talked with them without witnesses. In accordance with the established practice, reports are sent to the detaining authorities and to the prisoners' own governments.

Between 26 November and 17 December 1972, an ICRC delegate saw almost 1,800 persons who, for political reasons, were held in eleven detention centres, namely: Machava, Ponta Mahone, Nampula, Porto Amelia, Ibo, Vila Cabral, Tete No. I, Tete No. II, Beira, Quelimane and Nicoadala. In some of these places he distributed comforts and in all he was able to talk in private with the detainees of his choice.

Medical practice in disaster relief has a very specific aspect as compared with medicine in general, but I must point out that the difference lies in its organization rather than in its therapeutic nature. A doctor who has before him a sick or wounded person, or any other patient, will unstintingly provide care according to the knowledge and training he received at medical school. He will do so in accordance with the code of ethics of his calling, inculcated by his throughout the world draw inspiration from the Hippocratic Oath, the Prayer of Maimonides or the Geneva Declaration. All of this has been accepted and need not enter the type of training which we are about to define. The same applies to nurses and to the doctor's specialized auxiliaries, who are adequately trained for their occupation, in similar yet differentiated fashion.

In September 1951, a Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers that fought against Japan was signed in San Francisco. Article 16 of the Peace Treaty provided for a mandate given to the ICRC to undertake the distribution of funds to those former prisoners of war in Japanese hands who were nationals of the Powers parties to the Treaty, as compensation for the undue hardships those prisoners had suffered during captivity.

As indicated in our previous issue, the ICRC began to carry out its activities under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, through its delegations in the Arab countries and in Israel and Israel-occupied territories, as soon as the conflict broke out in the Middle East.

The Swiss Federal Council has invited all States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims, and all member States of the United Nations to send representatives to the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, which it is convening to meet in Geneva from 20 February to 29 March 1974.

Under the title of Weapons that may Cause Unnecessary Suffering or have Indiscriminate Effects, the International Committee has published a summarized report on the work of a group of experts whom it convened in Geneva, this year, on the subject of modern weapons.