April, 2004
“THE WEST BANK BARRIER IS CONTRARY TO
INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW”
INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB KELLENBERGER PRESIDENT
OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS
by Sawsan Hussein
 |
As president of this organisation, Mr Kellenberger makes a point of visiting conflict areas himself, to have first-hand contact with ICRC staff in these danger areas, giving them help and support. He believes that direct contact with human tragedies increases resourcefulness and resolve to ease the victims’ suffering, and to prevent further outbreaks of violence.
The ICRC statements regarding the adverse consequences of the barrier constructed by Israel in the West Bank were widely applauded as reflecting the integrity and humanitarianism of this organisation.
On Iraq:
Could you give our readership an overview of the current situation in Iraq for the ICRC?
The ICRC has been working in Iraq without interruption for the last 23 years in order to protect and assist the Iraqi people. During the last war and the following phase of occupation, ICRC activities have concentrated on visits to POWs and all categories of civilian internees. We have also helped families separated by the conflict to resume contact through messages and phone calls, and we have provided assistance with health and water structures.
After the car bomb attack on the ICRC delegation in Baghdad in late October, the committee had to close its offices in Baghdad and Basra temporarily. However, the ICRC remains present and active in the north of Iraq. Even though the attack obliged us to re-examine the way we work in Iraq we remain committed to helping the Iraqi people. The security environment in the country, however, remains very difficult. The ICRC has lost four staff members in Iraq since April 2003, three of whom were assassinated.
Future ICRC activities will focus on visiting POWs and civilian internees, the reestablishment of family links and on maintaining the capacity to respond to medical emergencies.
From the ICRC’s perspective, how does the situation in Iraq compare to that faced in Kosovo, Afghanistan or East Timor?
In all four contexts the ICRC has tried to provide aid and protection to people suffering because of armed conflict. In 2003, Iraq and Afghanistan were much larger operations in an environment with particularly high security risks. Neither in Kosovo nor East Timor were ICRC staff assassinated, as was the case this year both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What lessons has the ICRC learnt from Iraq and the above emergencies?
The ICRC must maintain a network of contacts with all sectors of society as well as with political and other actors in order to be understood, accepted and to gain trust. The ICRC is an independent, impartial and neutral humanitarian organisation and behaves as such, without compromise. But we have to understand that it is not sufficient to act according to these principles; we must also try to be clearly perceived by all actors as independent, impartial and neutral. It is true that the ICRC, in spite of its total independence and its 23 years of work for the welfare of the Iraqi people, has become a target in Iraq for some actors.
How would you like to see the trial of Saddam Hussein carried out?
Whatever the tribunal will try him for, the fundamental judicial guarantees have to be respected. These include the right to be tried by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal, the right to defend oneself and the right to a fair hearing.
On Palestine:
Could you give us an overview of ICRC operations in Palestine, the difficulties and the current opportunities since the release of the Road Map?
The ICRC’s activities in the Palestinian territories are among its largest operations worldwide. In mid-2002, the ICRC began to assist around 300,000 persons with food and non-food items in the West Bank through its urban voucher programme and distribution in rural areas. This was conceived as an emergency operation limited in time; since the ICRC does not intend to act as a substitute for the occupying power – in this case the state of Israel – the two relief programmes have now been phased out. However, the ICRC continues to carry out important assistance activities in Palestinian territories, particularly in the Hebron area. It also intervenes, in cases of violations of international humanitarian law, and its delegates regularly visit more than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The ICRC has reminded Israel time and again that it is its obligation as an occupying power to permit as normal a life as possible in the Palestinian territories. I do hope that progress towards a political solution and towards better compliance with the principles and rules of international humanitarian law by all actors concerned will lead to an improvement of the humanitarian situation.
What were the reasons behind the ICRC’s statement concerning the West Bank wall being constructed by Israel, and what effect does the organisation hope the statement will have?
The ICRC is increasingly concerned about the humanitarian impact of the West Bank barrier on many Palestinians living in occupied territory. The ICRC fully recognises Israel’s need and right to take measures to ensure the security of its population. These measures must, however, respect the relevant rules of international humanitarian law. The ICRC’s opinion is that the West Bank barrier, in so far as its route deviates from the “Green Line” into occupied territory, is contrary to international humanitarian law. The ICRC has therefore called upon Israel not to plan, construct or maintain this barrier within occupied territory.
On the Arab world:
What is the ICRC doing in the Arab world and how is this received by the Arabs?
This year, two of the four largest ICRC protection and assistance programmes were carried out in Arab states and territories – Iraq and the Palestinian territories. Both also figure among the committee’s five largest planned operations for 2004. There is, in other words, a very strong humanitarian commitment by the ICRC to the Arab world.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the governments of various Arab states for having made it possible for the ICRC to open logistic bases in their countries in support of our operations in Iraq this year.
The ICRC’s commitment to the population of the Arab world provides a good illustration of its commitment to humanitarian action in all civilisations of the world. The ICRC has worked hard to develop its communications with the Arab world. In addition to running a website from the Cairo office, the ICRC cooperates closely with national Red Crescent societies in different Arab countries. However, in the interest of all, there is still potential for further development of cooperation between Arab states and national Red Crescent societies.
I have, in the recent past, attached particular importance to contacts with the leaderships of various Arab states. In October, I paid visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and participated in the summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Malaysia, where I also had discussions with the presidents of Algeria and Sudan.
On Iran:
What has the ICRC done in Iran since the Bam earthquake on 26 December 2003, and what problems, if any, has the organisation encountered in these efforts?
Since this was a natural disaster and not an armed conflict, the ICRC’s involvement was limited. The relief work carried out by national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies was coordinated by the Iranian Red Crescent Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The ICRC did, however, provide relief items worth about 800,000 Swiss francs a few days after the disaster. The ICRC – along with the British Red Cross – was also involved in strengthening the capacity of the Iranian Red Crescent Society to re-establish contacts between family members. The ICRC has not faced any particular problems in this respect.
On Africa:
How do you assess the international humanitarian work in Liberia and the other trouble spots of Africa?
Africa remains the continent with the highest number of armed conflicts. Six of the 10 largest ICRC operations in 2003 were in Africa. In 2004, five of our top operations will, according to present planning, be in Africa.
The ICRC continued humanitarian activities with international staff in Liberia throughout the conflict in the summer of 2003, with a strong emphasis on treating the wounded. The ICRC ran the surgical ward of the main hospital in Monrovia and provided other assistance, in particular providing drinking water to displaced people in the capital. One of the big challenges ahead for humanitarian organisations is to help people all over the country, especially in areas that have been inaccessible in the past. The ICRC plans to further increase the volume of its activities in Liberia in 2004, with planned expenditure to rise to around 30m Swiss francs.
On Latin America:
Could you tell us about the ICRC’s substantial programme in Latin America?
The only major armed conflict going on in Latin America is in Colombia, and this country is consequently home to the most important ICRC operation in the continent. We help internally displaced persons and regularly intervene to remind parties to the conflict of their obligation to respect the rules of international humanitarian law.
The ICRC also works in most Latin American countries to promote awareness and knowledge of international humanitarian law among state authorities, armed forces and other armed groups, and civil society.
On the ICRC:
What would you like to accomplish for the ICRC?
I would like to see the ICRC well rooted, accepted and respected in all civilisations and cultures of the world so that it can protect and help all victims of armed conflicts and situations of violence. We are on the right track, but our efforts have to continue. The attack on our delegation in Baghdad was a terrible experience but it will not weaken our commitment to credible independent humanitarian action.
What haven’t you accomplished?
In spite of many efforts there has not been a significant improvement in the respect of humanitarian law by conflict parties, especially in non-international armed conflicts.
What have been your best and worst moments?
My best moments were successful negotiations at the highest level to achieve the release of POWs and civilian internees and to obtain access to security detainees in particularly delicate contexts.
My worst moments were the killing of ICRC staff members while carrying out lifesaving operations for people in need.
What is your assessment of the outcome of the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent?
Positive. States have reaffirmed their commitment to international humanitarian action. The main points of the agenda for humanitarian action, which contains a number of important commitments for states and national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, were adopted. A more serious assessment, however, will only be possible the day we see to what extent there is real implementation of the commitments.
I did, as chair, appreciate the good and cooperative mood in the Council of Delegates, which united all national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies before the international conference. The components of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement were well prepared for the international conference.
How do you see the relationship between globalisation and humanitarian activities?
In principle, the tools that make possible the acceleration of economic globalisation – progress in communication, information and transportation –
can be used both to forward peace and war. They can allow the reunification of families separated by armed conflicts, serve the transnational organisation of terrorist groups, and facilitate the fast distribution of vital medicaments or deadly weapons. The challenge, clearly, is to make more conscientious and more systematic use of the tools offered by globalisation in order to prevent conflicts and to help those in need.
What do you think about formulas such as “clash of civilisations”?
Such clichés provoke more blindness than guidance. What is the reality? There are clashes between individual human beings from different civilisations but also between members of the same civilisation. What really matters is the readiness of each individual to listen to the other and to make a real effort to understand him or her. This does not necessarily mean you will agree in the end, but such an attitude is the expression of what the French call “respect de la différence” – respecting difference or diversity. This basic attitude is important for relations between individuals of different civilisations and within the same civilisation. I am
deeply convinced that human beings share enormous common values to make a more peaceful world possible. We should all focus more on what we have in common than on the differences. Much more effort should be made to understand each other instead of judging each other. Expressions
of arrogance of all kinds should be urgently replaced by expressions of respect for differences between different cultures and civilisations.
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