Croix-Rouge Red Cross

et Croissant-Rouge and Red Crescent

Globalization and the future of humanitarian action

New priorities for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement?

by ALI SAID ALI

We are all aware that we are passing through a phase character-

ized by rapid changes involving concepts that transcend cultures and
utilize mechanisms that some societies may be unable to understand.
Since the end of the Cold War, which had troubled international rela-
tions for more than fifty years, the parameters of contemporary inter-
national relations have evolved within the framework of the concept
of globalization.
I do not think that anyone questions the political, economic,
social or cultural impact of globalization. The present differences of
opinion concern assessment of the extent of the adverse consequences
of this impact on human society, and especially on communities in the
Third World, many of which are still living in backward conditions.
In this paper, I do not intend to discuss the political, economic,
social and cultural impact of globalization. I shall merely attempt to
review some of its consequences in order to determine its repercus-
sions on the present humanitarian situation and, at the same time,
assess the future of humanitarian action mechanisms, particularly the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is one of the oldest
and most widely known of these mechanisms. It would be difficult to
predict this future without a clear diagnosis of the present humanitar-
ian situation in the age of globalization.

DR ALI SAID ALI is Secretary-General of the Libyan Red Crescent Society.

842 Croix-Rouge et Croissant-Rouge – Red Cross and Red Crescent

Globalization and the present humanitarian situation

The world rejoiced when, after many long years, it emerged
from the dark tunnel of the Cold War with great hopes that the end of
conflict would enable resources to be used for the development of
human societies and elimination of the various sources of human suf-
fering. However, all these hopes were dashed when human suffering
increased for various reasons, including:
• Social marginalization — Many human societies are living in a state
of marginalization due to rising rates of unemployment and
increases in the incidence of well-known social maladies (drugs,
crime, etc.). One of the main expectations concerning globaliza-
tion was that it would put an end to this suffering and enable States
to enjoy a comfortable economic situation that would lead to an
improvement in the socio-economic status of individuals.
Unfortunately, this optimism was dispelled by the constantly dete-
riorating socio-economic situation, which has marginalized many
human societies and might ultimately give rise to social conflict,
with often unforeseeable consequences.
• The increasing incidence of disasters — The picture of the world today
is even more dismal than it was during the Cold War, the termina-
tion of which left the remaining major Powers free to steer the
international decision-making mechanisms towards anarchy, inter-
national conflicts and internal strife.These have caused intolerable
humanitarian suffering, the dangers of which, in most cases, are dif-
ficult to predict. There has also been an alarming increase in the
incidence of disasters, the majority of which occur in Third World
countries afflicted with socio-economic setbacks (for further infor-
mation on disasters in the world, see the Disaster Report for the Year
2000 published by the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies in Geneva).
In many human societies globalization seems to have dissipated
the optimistic hopes of receiving assistance, as a token of the interna-
tional community’s solidarity, with a view to eliminating the causes of
disasters.The best indication of this is the acute shortage of resources
available to many humanitarian organizations and, in some cases, the
RICR Septembre IRRC September 2001 Vol. 83 No 843 843

refusal by major powers to fulfil their constitutional and moral obliga-

tions towards such organizations.
Since the dearth of financial resources available to many inter-
national organizations has now begun to affect the volume of assis-
tance that they provide for the victims of disasters, questions are being
raised about the future of humanitarian action and the priorities of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the age of
globalization.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

and the future of humanitarian action in the age of
globalization
It would be difficult to predict the future of humanitarian
action and the role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent without tak-
ing into consideration the complex crises currently facing such action,
which can be classified as follows:
• The crisis of forgotten disasters, due to the reluctance of donors to
provide the funds needed to deal with some major disasters which,
since they are no longer a subject capable of arousing public opin-
ion, cause thousands of deaths every day.The best proof of this can
be seen today in many Third World countries, especially on the
African continent, where the deaths of thousands of AIDS victims
constitute the greatest disaster that mankind has ever witnessed,
while the parties most able to help remain indifferent.
• The political crisis resulting from the fact that victims form part of
the political agenda of some parties whose hostile relations have
repercussions on those victims.The principal victims of this politi-
cal conflict are the children, women and civilians affected by the
system of economic embargoes imposed on some States. Today,
everyone is aware that the adverse effects of this system of eco-
nomic embargoes have transformed some human societies into a
humanitarian tragedy, the consequences of which may be difficult
to remedy.
• The crisis of the Movement’s multiple priorities, resulting from the
increasingly extensive concerns of the International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement and its attempt to undertake tasks which,
844 Croix-Rouge et Croissant-Rouge – Red Cross and Red Crescent

in view of the magnitude of the disasters with which some human

societies are faced and the dearth of resources which has begun to
affect the Movement’s programmes, might not constitute an urgent
humanitarian priority. It might be helpful if the Movement rapidly
recognized the need to identify the requirements of the most vul-
nerable groups, instead of wasting efforts and resources on the pro-
gramming of operations that might be implemented by other
parties.The Movement might rectify this state of affairs during its
statutory meetings in November 2001.
• The legal crisis, resulting from the existence of a vacuum in interna-
tional law with regard to the regulation of humanitarian assistance
activities. During the last decade, this vacuum led to differing defi-
nitions of some concepts, such as the right to assistance and the
right of intervention, thereby not only blurring the parameters of
humanitarian assistance programmes but also delaying the timely
receipt of assistance by the victims in many locations. Moreover,
the linkage of intervention to the right to assistance has been
exploited by some parties in order to use unconventional mech-
anisms, and particularly armed forces, to provide humanitarian
assistance. Hence, there is a need to fill this legal vacuum by giving
consideration to the establishment of an international legal mecha-
nism regulating humanitarian assistance. It might be appropriate for
the Movement to take an initiative to this end, since it is the most
able and the most widely experienced in the field of humanitarian
action.
Awareness of the complex crises currently facing humanitarian
action might help the statutory bodies of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement to be more prepared to take measures commen-
surate with the present circumstances of globalization, particularly
since the Standing Commission has begun to discuss the formulation
of a strategy for the Movement’s components so that it can be pre-
sented at the next statutory meetings in November 2001. However,
the question being asked at the present time is whether it is possible to
diagnose the weaknesses from which our Movement, one of the main
humanitarian action mechanisms, is suffering.
RICR Septembre IRRC September 2001 Vol. 83 No 843 845

By any standards, the present situation of the International Red

Cross and Red Crescent Movement differs from that in which it
found itself fifty years ago. Everyone realizes that the changes that have
taken place in its external environment have not been offset by corre-
sponding changes in its internal environment that could enable it to
respond to requirements in accordance with its time-honoured
humanitarian procedures. I regard this shortcoming as one of the
weaknesses currently affecting the Movement.As a result, it has begun
to act in accordance with the circumstances of external changes with-
out being able to determine its course of action within the framework
of those circumstances.The best indication of this is the hasty manner
in which the Movement addressed the complex question of the
emblem, which could have repercussions on its unity and solidarity.

The Movement’s priorities

Today, the Movement has undeniably reached a turning point at
which it needs to review some of the concepts and mechanisms of its
activities. It might be helpful to consider this challenge in the light of
the following priorities:
• The concept of solidarity needs to be boosted and put into practice by
replacing the concept of participation with the concept of responsible
partnership.This implies abandonment of considerations dictated by
donors and other players, and abandonment of the concept of soli-
darity solely within the framework of the Movement in favour of
the concept of solidarity in the interests of the ultimate beneficia-
ries, namely the most vulnerable groups.
• The voluntary service aspect needs to be accentuated so that voluntary
endeavours can be used to reduce dependence on reciprocal bene-
fits when providing humanitarian assistance.This would promote a
closer mutual relationship between victims and the Movement, a
relationship that could add a further dimension to voluntary work
by encouraging voluntary endeavours on the part of the target
groups themselves. To this end, the Movement might have to
review the question of voluntary service and the related mech-
anisms that are currently in operation.
846 Croix-Rouge et Croissant-Rouge – Red Cross and Red Crescent

• There is a need to boost credibility, which ensured greater praise and

support for the Movement in past decades, in order to enable it to
fulfil its obligations towards victims and vulnerable groups by safe-
guarding the mainstays of this credibility, namely the Movement’s
identity, fundamental principles, emblem and universality, without
diminishing the trust that has always motivated our Movement’s
sincere endeavours.

Conclusion
There is an increasingly widespread feeling that humanitarian
action under the present circumstances of globalization is suffering
from shortcomings that have caused the situation of the most vulnera-
ble groups to deteriorate. In many regions they have also led to an
increase in the number of victims due to the inability of humanitarian
organizations to respond to humanitarian requirements and the reluc-
tance of donors to provide the support needed to enable these organi-
zations to fulfil their obligations towards victims.
These repercussions seem to have had a direct effect on the
components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, which are complaining in general of difficulties in dealing
with these changes and, in particular, of a shortage of the resources
needed to discharge their humanitarian tasks.
This challenge implies an urgent need for in-depth discussion
and dialogue concerning the priorities of the International Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement and the future of humanitarian action
in general in the age of globalization.