1. ICRC Head of Operations for Latin America & the Caribbean
ICRC ACTION
In Latin America
& the Caribbean
by Angela Gussing
ICRC Head of Operations for Latin America & the Caribbean

2. 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)

3. THE ICRC IN THE REGION GLOBAL 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

4. HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF ARMED CONFLICT - COLOMBIA
EXTENSIVE PROTECTION APPROACH
VITAL ASSISTANCE TO CONFLICT VICTIMS
INTEGRATED MINE ACTION APPROACH
EXTENSIVE PARTNERSHIP - COLOMBIAN RC

5. HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF PAST ARMED CONFLICTS Haiti, 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

6. HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF OTHER SITUATIONS OF VIOLENCE ICRC 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

7. REFERENCE IHL & NIHA All 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

8. 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"

9. THANK YOU !
QUESTIONS…? COMMENTS…?

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. PROMOTION OF IHL Respect and implement IHL
OBJECTIVES
Respect and implement IHL
Enable ICRC action + access to victims
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