GLOSSARY OF TERMS - INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest humanitarian network, with a presence and activities in almost every country. The Movement incorporates the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world. With a vibrant and varied history, from its birth in the aftermath of battle in 1859 and the vision of founder Henry Dunant, through two world wars and up to today, the Movement is widely acknowledged as an unstoppable force for help and compassion.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Movement in situations of conflict. It also endeavors to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.

Founded in 1919, the Federation comprises 177 member Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, a Secretariat in Geneva and more than 60 delegations strategically located to support activities around the world. There are more societies in formation. The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross in many Islamic countries.

The Federation carries out relief operations to assist victims of disasters, and combines this with development work to strengthen the capacities of its member national societies. The Federation's work focuses on promoting humanitarian values, disaster response, disaster preparedness, and health and community care.

The unique network of national societies – which cover almost every country in the world – is the Federation's principal strength. Cooperation between national societies gives the Federation greater potential to develop capacities and assist those most in need. At a local level, the network enables the Federation to reach individual communities.

The role of the Secretariat in Geneva is to coordinate and mobilize relief assistance for international emergencies, promote cooperation between national societies and represent these national societies in the international field.

The role of the field delegations is to assist and advise national societies with relief operations and development programs and encourage regional cooperation.

National societies act as auxiliaries to the public authorities of their own countries in the humanitarian field and provide a range of services including disaster relief, health and social programs and assistance to people affected by war. Worldwide there are Red Cross, Red Crescent or the equivalent in nearly every country. Together, the national societies have 105 million volunteers and 300,000 employees, assisting some 233 million beneficiaries each year. The promotion of humanitarian values is an intrinsic part of all Red Cross and Red Crescent activities. National societies conduct campaigns and speak on behalf of vulnerable people in their own countries, promote awareness of international humanitarian law and advocate internationally through the Federation and with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

National Society programs and services address both immediate and long-term needs and include emergency shelter, food and medicine; water and sanitation; restoring family contact for disaster victims; disaster preparedness; community-based health and care; first aid training and activities; control and prevention of diseases; HIV/AIDS prevention; blood donor recruitment, collection and supply; and youth and volunteer activities.

Vulnerable people are at greatest risk from situations that threaten their survival or their capacity to live with an acceptable level of social and economic security and human dignity. Often, these are victims of natural disasters, poverty brought about by socio-economic crises, refugees and victims of health emergencies.

International Humanitarian Law is the body of laws and principles that seeks to save lives and alleviate suffering of combatants and noncombatants during armed conflicts. Its principal legal documents are the Geneva Conventions of 1949, four treaties signed by almost all states (nations) around the world. The Geneva Conventions specifically protect members of the armed forces who are wounded, sick or shipwrecked, prisoners of war, and civilians. (Also sometimes referred to as "the law of armed conflict" or the "law of war.")

International Disaster-Response Law are the rules and principles facilitating international humanitarian assistance after natural and technological disasters, and cooperative efforts in disaster prevention and preparedness. When international humanitarian law (IHL) began its rapid ascent in the late nineteenth century, efforts were made to promote its peacetime corollary for disaster response. However, international disaster response law has received only sporadic attention up through the twentieth century and has not yet formed into a cohesive, readily accessible body of law that can be compared with IHL. It can be found, though, in wide ranging treaties providing customs waivers for goods en route to disaster victims, regional initiatives to facilitate disaster response, conventions on nuclear accidents, and most recently, the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations of 1998.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) refers to transnational organizations of private citizens that maintain a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. NGOs may be professional associations, foundations, multinational businesses, or simply groups with a common interest in humanitarian assistance activities (development and relief). NGO is a term normally used by non-U.S. organizations as the equivalent of the term PVO, private voluntary organization.

International Response Team
International Response Team (IRT) field personnel are inserted into an international disaster situation to immediately determine the needs of those affected by the disaster and rapidly mobilize assistance in the form of relief supplies, cash and technical assistance. In the past year, the International Disaster Response Unit has trained 100 IRT members for deployment in response to catastrophic disasters internationally.

International Emergency Response Unit
The International Disaster Response Unit alleviates human suffering brought about by natural or man-made international disasters by providing assistance (cash, relief supplies or personnel) to meet essential disaster-caused human needs. The American Red Cross strives to deliver rapid and high-impact international disaster response services that exceed industry standards and support sustainable recovery. Since June 1999, the American Red Cross has responded to 38 international emergencies in 30 countries on five continents. Relief assistance has included more than $13 million in cash contributions, in-kind contributions valuing nearly $2.4 million, and the deployment of 96 staff and International Response Team members.

Red Cross Messages are written messages sent between prisoners of war and their relatives through Red Cross channels, usually when no other communication is possible. Red Cross Message service may also be available to civilian victims of war, especially when postal services have completely collapsed.

International Disaster Welfare Inquiries are health and welfare inquiries sent to alleviate distress when normal direct communication between family members are disrupted and attempts to reestablish contact between a person in the United States and a close relative who is a citizen of another country have failed.

Tracing assistance is provided to people in the community who have been separated from their relatives (citizens of other countries) as a result of war, civil disturbances, natural disaster, or changing world conditions over which the individual has no control. Tracing services for victims of war have their foundation in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.