International
Federation President Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro spoke
today of the alarm felt within the Red Cross and Red Crescent
at “the erosion of respect for our neutral and impartial
work to alleviate human suffering, as well as the growing insecurity
faced by humanitarian workers, especially those working as volunteers,
with little else to protect them but the emblem.”
Addressing the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement in Geneva, he said the flow of humanitarian
assistance is often determined by media attention and political
concerns, rather than on the basis of who is most vulnerable
or the most in need. ”We need to refocus attention on
the humanitarian imperative to provide assistance to those who
need it most, in a neutral and impartial manner, and without
discrimination,” he said.
Protecting Human Dignity is the theme of the International Conference
which takes place once every four years and brings together
representatives of the 181 National Societies, the International
Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross
with representatives of governments who are signatories to the
Geneva Conventions.
The president spoke also of the “hidden threats to human
dignity” which include the daily disasters such as the
poverty and inequity faced by millions.
Suárez del Toro criticised the lack of funding for the
fight against HIV/AIDS. “Access to affordable antiretroviral
treatment is still far from reaching the millions of people
who require it. Proven methods to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS
are being questioned and undermined. And ignorance, stigma and
discrimination continue to hamper our efforts to reach those
who need our help most.”
The threat posed by disasters to human dignity cannot be ignored
either. “The impact of disasters is made worse because
of poor planning, environmental degradation and inadequate response
mechanisms.”
Impediment to effective response
He continued: “Too often, laws, policies and procedures
act as a barrier and impediment to effective and coordinated
disaster response. This is why we believe that governments and
the Red Cross Red Crescent need to work together at examining
the laws related to disaster response, to identify gaps and
weaknesses, and look for appropriate solutions.”
The Federation President stressed that capacity building of
civil society organisations is critical and he highlighted “the
need for governments to support more actively the work of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.”
He drew the Conference’s attention to the report, “National
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as auxiliaries to public
authorities in the humanitarian field” which has been
prepared by the International Federation for the Conference.
“We need governments to better understand the work we
do, and the fundamental principles that we adhere to as a Movement.
This means understanding that, while we work as willing partners
with governments in efforts to confront contemporary challenges,
we must at all times maintain our independence, neutrality and
autonomy.”
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The
Federation president, Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro said
humanitarian aid was too iften determined by media attention
and political considerations (p10806)
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