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2010 - The Challenges to Global Security: Cornelio SOMMARUGA
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22/12/99
Cornelio
SOMMARUGA PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS
In the past decade the 'battlefield' has changed. Traditional distinctions
and patterns have become blurred: the resurgence of 'sub state' conflicts
have introduced new players, destabilising the pattern of humanitarian action.
Developments of great concern include increasing number of irregular armed
forces in internal conflicts, resulting in grave violations of universal
humanitarian principles. The International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC's) mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to forestall the suffering engendered by various situations. The ICRC can help to reduce the suffering of victims of armed conflicts and improve the humanitarian behaviour of all arms carriers in the following ways:
- Promoting human dignity: our most urgent task is to promote ethical values by restoring a culture of human dignity in which solidarity and tolerance are understood and practised;
- Education and training of humanitarian principles to all armed, security and police forces: nations should undertake the necessary steps to ensure that all arms carriers are trained in the Law of Armed Conflict and other humanitarian principles relevant to behaviour on the battlefield. Convincing irregular armed forces of the need to adopt universal humanitarian principles will be a challenge for the ICRC in the years to come;
- Protection of civilians in armed conflicts: this is a primary concern of the ICRC. Civilians are often the targets of present-day conflicts; many are driven methodically from their homes. We need an international co-ordinated effort to stop this development.
All combatants should wear uniforms or at minimum a visible sign, distinguishing combatants from civilians;
- Protection and care of women and children: women and children have been the key victims in present-day conflicts. This not only includes the rape of women and children, but also children becoming gun-carrying combatants. Civil and military authorities must address these serious offences. Nations should also eradicate all forms of participation of children in hostilities and support the efforts of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in its campaign to raise the age of recruitment and participation in hostilities to 18 years;
- Increasing security of humanitarian actors: nations should provide the security framework necessary to allow humanitarian actors safe access to the victims;
- Eliminating Anti-Personnel Landmines: the Ottawa treaty represents the comprehensive framework for ending the man-made epidemic of death, injury and suffering caused by these weapons. To date, 135 nations have complied with the treaty. Complete implementation is now required;
- Arms availability and the situation of civilians in armed conflict: nations should review their policies concerning the production, availability and transfer of arms and ammunition; and
- Conflict prevention and humanitarian crisis management: the reaction time of the international community in cases of humanitarian crises and the methods and means used by the UN are generally too slow and inefficient. Nations could provide the UN with a better early warning and crisis monitoring capability. The UN should be in a position to employ within 48 hours a 'Rapid Reaction Peace Corps' in case of a larger humanitarian crisis.
If we want in the coming decade to create order and harmony out of the chaos and violence present in many parts of the world, we need to reaffirm the ethical values that will provide legitimacy and sustainable peace for all. We need a globalisation of responsibility. Humanitarian actors, politicians, academics, diplomats and military commanders can contribute to make the world safer and more humane. Together we can realise a new interdependent world which could transform despair into hope, confrontation into co-operation and conflict into solidarity.
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Cornelio SOMMARUGA
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2010
- The Challenges To Global Security | Foreword:
Cliff Beal | King
Abdullah II | Kofi
Annan | Ehud Barak
| Tony Blair | Jacques
Chirac | Bill
Clinton | Sadako
Ogato | James
Orbinski | Romano
Prodi | Lord
Robertson Of Port Ellen | Mary
Robinson | Javier
Solana | Cornelio
Sommaruga | James
Wolfensohn | Postscript:
Edward N. Luttwak | Postscript:
Lawrence Freedman