President of International Red Cross Maurer addresses OSCE participating States, underlines common concerns and complementary approaches

VIENNA, 27 October 2016 - Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer underlined that the OSCE and the ICRC often share common concerns and follow complementary approaches, in particular in those zones of conflict and crises in which both organizations are active.  The representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States acknowledged the outstanding role of the ICRC as a neutral and independent humanitarian organization and welcomed the possibility for mutual exchange.

Maurer said that the ICRC endeavors to be a trustworthy and reliable neutral humanitarian intermediary, with the consent of all parties involved in conflict situations. He pointed out that through this the ICRC can frequently complement the OSCE’s role as peace negotiator: “While the ICRC does not partake in political peace negotiations, we do stand ready to assist through operations on the ground that can foster trust.” He presented specific examples of ICRC activities concerning the conflict in and around Ukraine and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He drew attention to the respective contributions made by the OSCE and the ICRC to work on missing persons from the 2008 war and earlier conflicts in Georgia.

Maurer presented to OSCE participating states various ways to support the ICRC’s activities and aims. These included a call for greater agility in funding from States to humanitarian actors such as the ICRC. He also urged the Permanent Council that international humanitarian law and human rights standards be fully supported by the participating States, including through training. “This may contribute to preventing abuses, violations, inadequate treatment and conditions of people detained.” He warned of increasing tendencies to abuse indispensable humanitarian action in conflicts for unilateral political aims of conflicting parties.

In concluding, the Chair of the Permanent Council, Germany’s Ambassador Eberhard Pohl, thanked the ICRC and its President for their untiring commitment and echoed the assessment of the ICRC President that humanitarian assistance cannot be a substitute for sustainable political solutions and that in this regard the OSCE has a vital role to play to prevent crises and contribute to conflict settlement.