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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


COMITÉ INTERNATIONAL DE LA CROIX-ROUGE
Fourth World Conference on Women
4-15 September 1995, Beijing, People's Republic of China

STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)
Geneva, Switzerland
delivered by Mrs. Renée Guisan, Vice-President


Madam Chairperson,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The International Committee of the Red Cross carries out its mandate to
protect and assist the victims of armed conflict and internal violence
throughout the world. One aspect of the draft programme of action which
has been submitted to the Beijing Conference is of special concern to
the ICRC: that aspect is the protection of women against the effects of
armed conflicts, and especially against the acts of violence to which
women are particularly vulnerable in such situations. Women and the
civilian population in general are those who suffer most from the
effects of hostilities: they are wounded or killed, driven from their
homes, detained for arbitrary reasons, abused, and separated from their
families.

Women play an important role as promoters of peace. In wartime they are
the mainstay of their families, taking on the responsibilities of their
menfolk who have gone away to fight. They shoulder these
responsibilities at great risk to their own lives, crossing minefields
and braving bombing and shelling as they go in search of food, water,
firewood and other means of survival. And this exposes them to yet
another type of danger at the hands of undisciplined soldiers who have
no respect for women: indecent assault, rape, and other forms of
psychological and physical abuse.

International humanitarian law protects women as members of the civilian
population, and they are also afforded special protection because of
their greater vulnerability. This special protection is enshrined in the
four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of
1977. It includes, in particular, legal protection against "any attack
on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitution, or
any form of indecent assault".

The rules are there, but they are all too often flouted. States lack the
political will to adopt effective means of enforcing them. Today, a
growing number of conflicts take the form of civil strife in which the
rules of international humanitarian law are disregarded. Thus the
protection of the civilian population - women and children in particular
- is in jeopardy.

In some cases we have even witnessed a deliberate policy of violations
of humanitarian law intended to terrorize civilians. Systematic
massacres have been carried out with the aim of uprooting and driving
out entire communities. And rape has often been part of these policies
of terror.

Every effort must therefore urgently be made to curb violence and at
least to spread knowledge of the rules of international humanitarian
law, especially those that protect women. This is a major goal for the
ICRC, which is working to raise awareness among decision-makers and
senior military officers.

We welcome the initiative taken by the United Nations to set up
international tribunals to repress crimes against humanity, war crimes
and acts of genocide, and earnestly hope that an international criminal
court will soon be established.

The ICRC also welcomes the provisions of the draft programme of action
discussed at this Conference which strengthen the application of
international humanitarian law, and trusts that they will be adopted. It
has prepared a document detailing its position on various points covered
in sections D and E; this paper is available to the participants in the
Conference.

In just a few days' time, the Review Conference of the 1980 United
Nations Weapons Convention will be meeting in Vienna. The ICRC strongly
reaffirms its stance in favour of a ban on anti-personnel landmines,
which have claimed so many victims among women and children. It is also
concerned by the uncontrolled sale of weapons to users who operate
outside accepted standards, and by the use of the media - notably radio
and television - to spread messages of hatred which have led to
indiscriminate violence and in some cases even to genocide.

In conclusion, Madam Chairperson, no one can deny that women bear the
brunt of the tragic effects of armed conflicts. States must obviously
assume a large measure of responsibility for reversing this trend, but
much can be done by individuals, and especially women themselves. The
ICRC would like to pay tribute to all the women who play a key role in
humanitarian action in general, and in food distribution and the
reunification of families in particular. We firmly believe that women
are already and will increasingly become the best advocates for limiting
violence.

Finally, Madam Chairperson, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I
would remind you that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, together with the 185 States party to the Geneva Conventions,
will also be addressing the issue of protection of women in armed
conflict at its 26th International Conference, which opens in Geneva on
3 December 1995.