(English) We, the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, being the basic units and vital force of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, founded in 1919 the League of Red Cross Societies “as a purely voluntary non-political, non governmental, non sectarian organisation, to anticipate, diminish and relieve the misery produced by disease and calamity in a systematic approach”.
We are committed to protecting human dignity and to improving the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.
We carry out our humanitarian activities in conformity with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary service, Unity and Universality. To alleviate human suffering, we work as auxiliaries to our public authorities in the humanitarian field and through our global network of National Societies and the Movement.
With the objectives of ensuring the co-ordination of our international activities, the development and implementation of common standards and policies, organizational development, capacity building and effective international disaster management, and of having an international presence and recognition as a global partner in humanitarian assistance, we therefore have agreed to unite ourselves and to establish an international body, named the “International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies”, whose general aim is to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities.
With these objectives in mind, we hereby set out the constitutional provisions of this international body and the related rights and duties by which we agree to abide.
We further recall that the mottoes “Inter arma caritas” and “Per humanitatem ad pacem” together express the ideals of the Movement.