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ICRC ACTION. In Latin America & the Caribbean by Angela Gussing ICRC Head of Operations for Latin America & the Caribbean. ICRC IN LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN WHAT AND WHY?. Action in armed conflicts (present and past) Protection of civilian population and detainees
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ICRC ACTION In Latin America & the Caribbean by Angela Gussing ICRC Head of Operations for Latin America & the Caribbean
ICRC IN LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN WHAT AND WHY? Action in armed conflicts (present and past) • Protection of civilian population and detainees • Assistance to people affected by armed conflict • Action in relation to the MISSING • National Society as primary and strategic partner Activities regarding internal violence • Work with Police & Armed forces on use of force • Support NSocieties action (specific events+situations) • Work with youth in specific schools • Work on places of detention Reference institution for IHL and NIHA • Promotion & integration of Int. Humanitarian Law • Actor specifically neutral + independent (accepted by all)
THE ICRC IN THE REGIONGLOBAL PICTURE • Country delegations • Colombia, Haiti • Regional delegations • Mexico, BUE, Lima, Caracas • Country offices • Guatemala, Brasilia • Resources for 2008 • Budget CHF 55 mio, • 87 Expatriate staff • 407 Nacional staff
HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF ARMED CONFLICT - COLOMBIA • EXTENSIVE PROTECTION APPROACH • VITAL ASSISTANCE TO CONFLICT VICTIMS • INTEGRATED MINE ACTION APPROACH • EXTENSIVE PARTNERSHIP - COLOMBIAN RC
HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF PAST ARMED CONFLICTSHaiti, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, Salvador, Nicaragua… • MISSING • Support to families and re-establishing family links • Support to forensic activities • Verifying information and cross-checking • Support to national mechanisms • Support to NGO's and civil society involved • PRISONERS • Regular visits to prisoners throughout region • Support to and contact with families • Support authorities to improve detention conditions
HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF OTHER SITUATIONS OF VIOLENCEICRC in Haiti, Mexico, Lima, Buenos Aires, Caracas • Work with police and army (dialogue, integration) • Visiting security detainees • Support to improve detention conditions • Support to and contact with families • Support NS to work in urban environments • First aid, emergency evacuations, burials • Safer Access for volunteers carrying out activities • Schools – work with youth on violence issues • Introduction in schools of Exploring Humanitarian Law – work on curricula and training of teachers
REFERENCE IHL & NIHAAll delegations • PROMOTION OF IHL • Armed forces, police, universities, national authorities, OAS • NATIONAL LEGISLATION • Ratification of international treaties • Law on RC/RC emblems • War crimes • Impunity • Missing • OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION – ALL ACTORS • Promotion of RC/RC, Principles, modus operandi • GOOD OFFICES • Returning hostages to families • Restituting bodies to families
ICRC PRIORITIES In Latin America and the Caribbean • Internal armed conflict in Colombia • « Other situation of violence » in Haiti • "Missing", in Peru, Guatemala, Colombia, Chile, Arg. • Engage more in "other situations of Violence" • Violence in cities, indigenous, prisons, demonstrations) • Operational dialogue on "Use of force in situations of Internal disturbance and other situations of internal violence"
THANK YOU ! QUESTIONS…? COMMENTS…?
PROTECTION • EXTENSIVE RANGE OF PROTECTION ACTIVITIES • Regular visits to all places of detention • Dealing with summary executions+death threats • Missing file (support to authorities, civil soc.) • Supporting families (prisoners, missing) • Tracing and re-unifying families
ASSISTANCE • Emergency assistance to approx. 70’000 IDPs / year • Small agro projects for IDPs and residents • Rehabilitation small infrastructure–schools, waterwells • Health assistance to victims of mines and sexual violence • Enabling health structures to reach remote areas • Support to government structures of assistance to IDPs
COOPERATION (NS) AN ESSENTIAL PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION • Assistance to individual IDPs in 6 towns • UXO and Mine action • Promotion of IHL and HR • Tracing • Safer Access for CRC volunteers
PROMOTION OF IHL ACTIVITIES • Integration into military and Police training • Sensitization of organised armed groups • Integration of IHL into national legislation • IHL integration into University programmes • Sensitization of media and journalists OBJECTIVES Respect and implement IHL Enable ICRC action + access to victims