State Secretary Wegger Strømmen

The 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

Geneva, 2 November 1999

Mr. President,

It is a great honour for me to take the floor at the 27 th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This conference is one of the most important humanitarian fora in the world, bringing together the states parties to the Geneva Conventions and different components of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is one of the major international humanitarian operators. It is an effective international network that combines emergency preparedness with local knowledge and local presence. It has the strength and legitimacy to act accordingly. Its uniqueness however lies in the mandate it has got in the Geneva Conventions and the additional protocols. That is why I shall focus on the mandate as I address this conference.

Let me share with you some of the areas that are of concern to my government as we enter a new millennium.

Whereas 5 per cent of the casualties in the First World War were civilians, the figures today are as high as 80-90 percent. In addition, huge numbers of civilians have been driven from their homes, subjected to inhuman treatment and deprived of their basic human rights. All this is in clear violation of existing international humanitarian law. Our top priority must therefore be to ensure that all parties to an armed conflict comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law. The Norwegian Government is pleased to note that this has been selected as Final Goal 1.1 in the Draft Plan of Action before us.

Children are increasingly affected by armed conflict. They are also the most vulnerable in these situations. In our humanitarian assistance efforts we aim to address the special needs of children.

We support the ongoing work on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts. We hope that the Working Group meeting in January next year will succeed in establishing 18 years as the minimum age for military recruitment and participation in armed conflicts.

Workers from international humanitarian organisations are risking their lives every day in order to protect and assist the civilian population. In recent conflicts there has been an increasing number of violations of the security of humanitarian personnel. Humanitarian personnel are deliberately targeted as a tactic of warfare. Such attacks are unjustifiable and unacceptable. The Norwegian government wishes to express its condolences to the Red Cross Movement in connection with the recent loss of lives among its personnel in Chechnya.

Concrete measures must be taken to enhance the safety of humanitarian workers, and to ensure that those responsible for such violations are held accountable. The entry into force on 29 January this year of the UN Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel is an important step forward.

Mr. President,

The main problem does not lie in the lack of legal framework, but in the lack of respect for the rules, in the implementation of the existing legal framework and in giving priority to prosecution of violations of international humanitarian law.

The adoption in Rome last year of the Statute establishing an International Criminal Court is a truly historic achievement. The existence of a permanent, global institution of this kind will significantly enhance deterrence against the most heinous international crimes. There are, however, still challenges ahead of us before we can say that we have reached our goal, which is the actual establishment of the Court. All efforts must be directed at speeding up domestic procedures with regard to signature and ratification of the Statute. The Norwegian Government for its part, is well underway with preparations with a view to obtain prior parliamentary approval of ratification.

Mr. President,

Most of the ongoing conflicts taking place today are either within states or within states with an additional element of outside aggression. There is a need to address the lack of protection of persons in situations of internal conflicts, which fall outside the scope of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Protocol II. This is the background for the on-going effort to identify certain fundamental standards, applicable to all persons in all circumstances. These fundamental standards of humanity would reflect both international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Norway has presented the resolution on fundamental standards of humanity in the Commission on Human Rights since 1995. This important issue deserves the attention of the 27 th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent and mentioning in the Plan of Action.

Most internal conflicts are fought almost exclusively with small arms. Millions of civilians have been killed by small arms. The proliferation of small arms not only poses a threat to international security but also hampers development, human rights, peace maintenance and peace-building programmes.

We must all accept responsibility for this situation. All weapon-producing nations should ensure greater transparency in small arms transfers, and intensify the fight against the illicit transfer of small arms. Problems caused by the already existing small arms must be addressed and assistance must be given for weapons collection and destruction programmes. Governments play a central role in this process, but we need to work together with other actors such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement.

Mr. President,

My delegation is looking forward to co-operating with you during this session, and we trust that the “Plan of action” will reflect fully our common humanitarian commitment.

Thank you Mr. President.