Swiss Government Contribution to the ICRC Headquarters’ Appeal 2023 (Sitzbudget IKRK)

The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. It takes action in response to emergencies, protracted conflicts and at the same time promotes respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation in national law.

The work of the ICRC is based on the Geneva Conventions of 1949, their Additional Protocols, its Statutes – and those of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

The four Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I confer on the ICRC a specific mandate to act in the event of international armed conflict. In particular, the ICRC has the right to visit prisoners of war and civilian internees.

The Conventions also give the ICRC a broad right of initiative. In non-international armed conflicts, the ICRC enjoys a right of humanitarian initiative recognized by the international community and enshrined in Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions.

Humanitarian aid is an important plank of Switzerland’s foreign policy strategy. Switzerland and the ICRC defend the same principles: the aim to protect all victims of armed conflict without distinction and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

As depositary state of the Geneva Conventions, Switzerland has a long history of close relations with the ICRC. The legal status of the ICRC in Switzerland as a Swiss private law association that carries out an international mandate, is laid down in a 1993 Headquarters Agreement. The agreement was amended for the first time on 27 November 2020 in order to respond more effectively to global challenges and increasing digitalization. The importance of the ICRC and the Swiss contribution to the ICRC headquarters of CHF 80.0 million is confirmed in Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021-2024.

The institution is the most important partner of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the humanitarian field. One third of the SDC Humanitarian Aid budget is allocated to the ICRC.

The core contribution reflects Switzerland’s interest for the ICRC to have strong and well-established headquarters in Geneva. For the ICRC, Geneva acts as a hub for fostering relations with the UN agencies, the Permanent Missions and the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The promotion and systematic support of International Geneva is part of Switzerland's foreign policy strategy.

The cooperation between Switzerland and the ICRC is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the FDFA and the ICRC.

The ICRC continuously strengthens its capacity to protect and assist through law, policy and operation. ICRC’s field implementation rate was at 97% in 2022 and 82% in 2021 with a presence in over 100 countries. The decrease in the implementation rate in 2021 was due to COVID-19 according to the ICRC. In 2021, the ICRC managed to reach numbers of conflict-affected people amongst others visiting 889 places of detention holding 731’112 detainees in 71 contexts and reunifying 1’270 people, including 1’185 minors with their families. 1’651’904 phone and video calls were facilitated between family members, including migrants, people in quarantine or COVID-19 treatment facilities, and detainees who could not receive family visits owing to COVID-19 prevention measures. 

The ICRC continued to engage with governments and intergovernmental bodies on ways to improve IHL acceptance and national compliance. This effort contributed to 24 ratifications of or accessions to IHL treaties by 16 States in 2021.

The digital transformation and its implementation within the ICRC has been thought through intensively in the last years, and a Digital Transformation Strategy has been adopted as a consequence (ICRC Strategy 2019-24 (strategic orientation 5)).

The ICRC, and the IFRC, have kept working on initiatives to develop and strengthen NS such as the National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA) that was set up in 2017 by the two organizations to invest in capacity-building and organizational development of NS.

The ICRC contributes to localizing humanitarian aid through a more significant humanitarian response by the Movement. IFRC/ICRC coordinated and joined appeals in the COVID-19 appeal in 2020 and 2021. These joint appeals work well and are appreciated by donors.

The “Reference Frame”, guiding the two institutions’ partnership, has been discussed at the occasion of the yearly Senior Management Meeting (SMM) of the FDFA and ICRC.

The ICRC has made innovation, including digitalization, one of its top priorities. Beside many innovative projects being implemented in contexts where it makes sense, the ICRC is clearly positioning itself as a pioneer in the domain. It puts the beneficiary in the centre of its strategy. Innovative thinking and digitalization are not only a mean to reach out better to people, but also a game changer in how the humanitarian aid is carried out and perceived by the beneficiaries and the world. It serves to put accountability first.

In January 2022, the ICRC determined that servers hosting personal data belonging to more than 515,000 people worldwide were hacked in a sophisticated cyber-attack.

In 2022, Switzerland supported the ICRC with softly earmarked (multi-bilateral) contributions with a total amount of CHF 78.5 million.

The ICRC strives to continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its work and to increase its accountability, first to its beneficiaries, and second to external stakeholders, particularly donors.

Given the challenging dynamics of today’s conflicts, the ICRC focuses within its Institutional Strategy 2019-2022, extended for two years until 2024, on areas such as strengthening protection and prevention, ensuring a sustainable humanitarian impact, digital transformation, and partnering with others.

Talks around International Humanitarian Law are maintained after the conclusion of the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2019. Two expert meetings, organized by Switzerland, took place in 2020 and 2021 (on medical missions and voluntary report) and the other one just took place in January 2023 on “protecting the environment in armed conflicts”.

The ICRC embraces digitalization to reach out to beneficiaries, all by ensuring that no harm is done and fundamental principles are being respected.

ICRC delegations coordinated with IFRC and the respective NS to help build local response capacity. The adoption of The Movement Coordination for Collective Impact Agreement (Seville Agreement 2.0) has brought a clearer vision of a long-term plan on capacity building of NS. Between 2019 and 2021, three calls for proposals were completed and 25 National Societies were selected for funding. NSIA funding remains a challenge.

Close collaboration with National Societies (NS) are crucial, especially in contexts where access to people is difficult. The ICRC has always developed capacities of local NS to improve the response as well as to anticipate emergencies. Collaboration with the IFRC is a necessity to develop a holistic common approach towards capacity building of NS especially in protracted conflicts. SDC is committed to support and advocate for initiatives that promote the localization agenda and the development of the NS (e.g. NSIA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of local actors has risen and so has the role of the NS, especially due to the travel restrictions of international aid workers. Localization has gained value and reputation.

The exchanges have been deepened along the “Reference Frame” in order to identify synergies and new fields of cooperation. The focus of the 2022 SMM dialogue was put on Ukraine and the Swiss membership in the UN security council.

The first Humanitarian Impact Bond (HIB/PHII) in Physical Rehabilitation for which Switzerland was major donor has ended in 2022. Successes and challenges were discussed. New possible synergies with the SDC Engagement with Private Sector (PSE) are being discussed. The ICRC is considerably investing in the development of New Financing Models (NFM) in cooperation with the private sector and International Financing Institutions (e.g. WB, ABD).

The data breach highlights a growing trend in cyber operations targeted at humanitarian organizations. Data breaches risk causing severe consequences for the people those organizations serve – and those who are already among the most vulnerable. The ICRC has since then significantly increased its mitigation measure towards this risk.

The deployment of Secondments continues to be used to reinforce ICRC capacities and serves SDC strategy.

Information on the progress of the implementation of the ICRC Institutional Strategy 2019-2022 (extended until 2024) is provided through bilateral, senior management and high-level meetings, the membership of the Donor Support Group as well as through the participation in field visits. For 2023, SDC’s budget for multi-bilateral contributions amounts to CHF 64.5 million.

With regard to ICRC headquarters donors, Switzerland’s contribution of CHF 80.0 million is on rank 1 (attachment 2).

The main other donors of ICRC headquarters are: US, European Commission, Norway, Netherlands and Germany.

For headquarters and field, the main other donors are: US CHF 609.5 million, Germany 206.8 million, UK CHF 160.5 million and the EC CHF 151.0 million.

Coordination and the use of synergies take place through the regular meetings of the ICRC Donor Support Group (DSG), bilateral formal and informal exchange as well as the exchange at the occasion of field visits.

Phase 22 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)