In a period of 20 months, from November 1862 to August 1864, an almost unnoticed revolution took place, the result of the feelings aroused in various European countries by the publication of a small book, entitledA Memory of Solferino. Its author, the young Swiss businessman Jean-Henry Dunant, used the sympathy it generated to promote the idea that wounded soldiers should, since they are no longer capable of fighting, cease to be treated as enemies. He wanted nations to organize groups of volunteers who, with the full backing of their respective governments, would stand ready and able to render assistance to wounded and sick members of armies in the field, whether friend or foe.

The Council of Delegates,

recalling the proposal put forward by the Algerian Red Crescent at the 1986 Council of Delegates for the institution of a Red Cross and Red Crescent Peace Prize,

recalling that, according to the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Movement “by its humanitarian work and the dissemination of its ideals, (…) promotes a lasting peace, which is not simply the absence of war, but is a dynamic process of co-operation among all States and peoples, co-operation founded on respect for freedom, independence, national sovereignty, equality, human rights, as well as on a fair and equitable distribution of resources to meet the needs of peoples”.

It is common knowledge that by signing and ratifying the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 the High Contracting Parties have undertaken to seek out and prosecute all persons, whatever their nationality, committing or ordering to be committed any of the grave breaches defined in the said Conventions. As I have stated elsewhere, this express undertaking is so far removed from present custom, and from the traditional immunities enjoyed by nationals in this respect, as to justify asking how States intend to put it into effect and make its implications thoroughly understood and accepted by their politicians, armed forces and legal authorities.

On 6 May of this year, on the occasion of Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga's taking office as the ICRC's twelfth President, the ICRC General Assembly paid tribute to Mr. Alexandre Hay, who headed the institution from 1 July 1976 to 6 May 1987.

The members of the Committee and the Directorate recalled, in particular, the profound humanity and determination with which Mr. Hay had carried out his responsibilities throughout a decade marked by innumerable crises.

His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sophia visited the headquarters of the ICRC on 21 October 1987. The royal couple were in Geneva for the presentation of the Nansen Medal, awarded to the King by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The seed distribution programme (mainly maize, sorghum and soya beans) had started off well in September, the plan being to assist some 100,000 displaced civilians in the provinces of Huambo and Bié, but the work was interrupted by a tragic plane crash on 14 October. The aircraft was a Hercules transport plane chartered by the ICRC in Switzerland, and it crashed soon after take-off, about 40 km from Kuito. There were no survivors among the four crew members—two Irish, Dorian Shone, the Captain, and Kevin Tocknell; one British, Nicholas Duff; and one New Zealander, Gary Heap—or among the passengers—one Angolan, Nuno Ferreira, and the Swiss secretary of the ICRC delegation in Kuito, Miss Catherine Chappuis.

From the Council of Delegates meeting of November 1987 to the October 1989 meeting

Taking part in community-service activities is a natural way for young people to satisfy their aspirations and enables them to shoulder their responsibilities as future citizens.

This is why the Egyptian Red Crescent has always endeavoured to make use of young people's abilities, help them to become part of society, show them how they can accomplish useful work for the community and, in so doing, support the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.