ICRC furious at being dragged into UN vote campaign

The International Committee of the Red Cross is angry about the misuse of its emblem Keystone Archive

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told opponents of Swiss UN membership to stop using its name and emblems in their campaign.

“We absolutely refuse to be used in any way as an argument in this campaign,” said ICRC spokesperson, Antonella Notari

An “outraged” ICRC said it “noted the abusive references made to its name, emblem and activities” in a poster circulated by the Federal Committee for a Neutral, Sovereign and Democratic Switzerland, which is campaigning for a no vote in a federal referendum on Swiss membership of the United Nations on March 3.

Notari said the Geneva-based humanitarian organisation had contacted those responsible for the posters and asked them to withdraw and destroy them.

“If they don’t, we are quite ready to take legal measures,” she told swissinfo.

The posters that have provoked the anger of the ICRC were put up in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. Under a slogan stating: “Yes to the Red Cross; No to the UN and War” is a photo showing a jeep bearing the Red Cross emblem and Afghan children.

Notari confirmed that the ICRC had provided the photo, but without realising what it would be used for.

She said there was no evidence that supporters of UN membership had referred to the ICRC in their campaign. The Swiss government is among those calling for a yes vote.

Notari said the ICRC objected to being used as a tool in a political campaign, and that the organisation had no intention of taking any position with regard to the vote.

“We are an independent organisation – independent of all states, including Switzerland,” Notari said.

“We want it to be very clear in the Swiss people’s minds, that whichever way they vote, it will have absolutely no impact and no influence on our neutrality and our capacity to do our work,” she added.

by Roy Probert