Visit to Japan by Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

May 17, 2012
Japanese

Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will visit Japan from Tuesday, May 22 to Friday, 25 with intent to attend the ICRC Donor Support Group (DSG) meeting and to strengthen cooperation between Japan and the ICRC.
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress will invite President Kellenberger for luncheon at the Imperial Residence during his stay in Japan. He will also meet with key government officials, will attend the DSG meeting and will visit the "Empress Shoken and the Red Cross Exhibition" at Meiji Jingu.
Japan has been supporting the ICRC to extend humanitarian assistance to victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence in the world. It is expected that the forthcoming visit to Japan by President Kellenberger will further strengthen cooperative relations between Japan and the ICRC.

[Reference]

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC was established in 1863 as a result of the work of Henry Dunant, a Swiss, who advocated the necessity of an organization and a treaty to protect victims of armed conflicts. Based on the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, the ICRC protects and provides assistance to victims of armed conflicts, a mandate founded in the Geneva Conventions. The ICRC is the only organization which received the Nobel Peace Prize three times and its founder Henry Dunant received the first Nobel Peace Prize.
The ICRC, the national societies (there are 187 national societies in the world) and their International Federation form the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The ICRC, the world's oldest humanitarian organization, celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2013. It is officially present in Japan since 2009.
Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC (A Swiss national)
He was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Political Director of Switzerland. He became President of the ICRC in January 2000 (his term of office is until the end of June 2012). His last visit to Japan was in February 2008 and this time he is to make his third visit as President.
ICRC Donor Support Group (DSG)
The DSG consists of major donors whose yearly contribution to the ICRC is 10 million Swiss francs or more (current members are 17 countries and the EU). A member takes turn to host its annual meeting where budget and operations of the ICRC are discussed. Japan has been a member since its founding in 1998 and will host the DSG meeting for the first time. The meeting will be held in Tokyo on May 24 and 25.

(*The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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