Humanitarian organizations need unhindered access to people in need, International Red Cross Committee President tells OSCE participants

Unhindered access to people in need must be allowed to humanitarian organizations, so that they can deliver assistance in an impartial manner, Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told the OSCE Permanent Council on 30 January 2014.

He recalled that all governments and non-state armed groups bear the legal obligation to promote and respect international humanitarian law and to spare civilians unnecessary suffering.

He spoke of the “strong and close relationship” between his organization and the OSCE, adding that they both work for the protection of human dignity. Providing an overview of the ICRC’s work in OSCE participating States, Maurer highlighted the co-operation between the two organizations in addressing the problem of missing persons in relation to armed conflict.

Identifying the main challenges in the ICRC’s work, Maurer noted the increasing politicization of humanitarian action and the lack of respect for healthcare personnel, patients and facilities, and emphasized the fundamental need to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches vulnerable people on all sides.

After the address to the OSCE Permanent Council, Maurer launched a photo-exhibition entitled ‘War from the Victims’ Perspective’ featuring photographs by Jean Mohr, marking the 150th anniversary of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Permanent Council is a main decision-making body of the 57-country OSCE. It meets weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make appropriate decisions.