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" Every day, we hear of civilians being killed and wounded in violation of the basic rules of international humanitarian law and with total impunity. Instability is spreading. Suffering is growing. No country can remain untouched. "

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" New technologies are rapidly giving rise to unprecedented methods of warfare. Innovations that yesterday were science fiction could cause catastrophe tomorrow, including nanotechnologies, combat robots, and laser weapons. "

Peter Maurer

Science

Tomorrow

Giving

" We need to understand that the Geneva Conventions are not just some historical documents born of another time, created for another purpose. "

" The principal cause of suffering during humanitarian crises is insufficient respect of applicable rules of international humanitarian law. "

" The sad fact is that horrendous human conflict is nothing new. "

" The issue of corruption in the humanitarian system is not an issue which is fundamentally different from dangers of corruption in other areas. One of the best ways to strengthen accountability is to engage in principled and law-based humanitarian action. "

" Where you are born, your parent's beliefs, or your ethnic background should not make you a target. "

" You can't expect humanitarian and development agencies to rebuild Syria. There is not enough money. There is not enough capacity. There are not enough skills. "

" If you back out of a convention... you can't dodge your obligation. Torture is still not acceptable. "

" It's one thing if a politician in a small country says a little bit of torturing is good to do. There is a qualitative difference... when it's a candidate to run a superpower. "

" I think we are challenged in how we define humanitarian action today and how we relate to long-term needs. We are also confronted with legitimate expectations from the people who want us to respond far more thoroughly to their basic pleas than we would have done in a much more contained form of conflict. "

" The fragility created by protracted conflicts, resulting in destroyed cities and dramatically insufficient services, is not something that humanitarian organizations can address comprehensively. Only political solutions can end armed conflicts. "

" Experience shows that the reliance on illegal, immoral, and inhumane interrogation techniques is universally a very poor choice. "

" Although the ICRC and the World Economic Forum have separate missions, they both are centred on collaboration across sectors and between various actors in order to improve the state of the world. "

" While the nature of warfare is changing and wars are moving into cities, they are also becoming longer and their consequences more impactful. "

Peter Maurer

Moving

Consequences

" Not enough countries, not enough armies, not enough armed groups are abiding by the fundamental human values enshrined in the Geneva Conventions. "

" Humanitarian action cannot be held hostage to political ends. "

" The International Committee of the Red Cross visits roughly half a million detainees in nearly 100 countries each year. It's our job to try to prevent and put an end to torture and ill-treatment. "

" Each day that passes without kids being able to go to school is an enormous burden on the future. "

Peter Maurer

School

Without

" We still have a strong commitment to our original mission, which is to protect and assist people who are suffering from the impact of violence, but the violence has changed its character, format, and pattern so that we are now responding year after year. "

" What the hell is happening to the world when those who were at the origin of... international humanitarian law start questioning in public debates whether it has any relevance or should be respected? "

" It has always been clear that any use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. "

" We cannot guarantee that a humanitarian catastrophe of the extent of the Holocaust will not happen again. On the contrary, we witness a catalogue of atrocities every day in wars across the globe. "

" Suffering does not change its face. "

" Cities are drivers of growth and wealth, and at the same time, cities are becoming increasingly violent. "

" The ICRC did not see Nazi Germany for what it was. Instead, the organization maintained the illusion that the Third Reich was a 'regular partner,' a state that occasionally violates laws, not unlike any army during World War II, occasionally using illegal means and methods of warfare. "

" There is a clear business case for building the resilience and capacity of local communities, businesses, and institutions because a peaceful, educated, and productive population will stimulate economic growth in the long term. "

" People living through armed conflicts need infrastructure and services which will last, and the last thing on their mind is which budget line applies. "

" The abuse of civilians and combatants has existed since the dawn of time. "

" Economic activity can help repair war-torn societies, but if it's not conducted responsibly, it can also create or prolong violence. Companies and international organisations must help strengthen communities and overcome the trauma of violence. "

" Wars are getting longer, they are more complex, and the humanitarian need is great. "

Peter Maurer

Need

Humanitarian