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In Switzerland, there is not only a large sharing of competencies between the communal, cantonal and the federal levels, but also local authorities (and in particular city governments) and cantons develop their own social policies in many areas. For instance, social assistance is a compulsory task, imposed by the Confederation, but the cantons and the communes fulfill it and also have the choice to fix the types of programmes and the level of benefits. Also, specific policies are often developed by the cities and the cantons, for example to face unemployment and favor reintegration of people at the margins of society. Since the first half of the 1990s, for instance, unemployment increased in Switzerland and several cantons implemented programs of unemployment assistance, this dimension being absent at the federal level. In particular, the canton of Geneva put in place a Minimum Cantonal Income in 1994, which was inspired by the French minimum income support (Revenu minimum d'insertion or RMI), as an answer to the unemployment rate of the canton that is one of the highest of the country (with today around 5% of the cantonal working force). Together with the city of Geneva, the canton of Geneva created one of the most developed and generous systems of social and health care services in Switzerland. In many fields, Geneva is pioneering the development of services. For instance, it was the first canton in Switzerland to introduce an obligatory maternity leave insurance that permitted to extend from two to four month the period of home stay.

In its number of June last, the International Review mentioned the participation of the Republic of Niger in the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, thus bringing to one hundred the number of countries definitely parties to the Conventions.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has received from the Federal Political Department in Berne, the certified true copy of the instrument by which the Government of Ireland ratified the Geneva Conventions of 1949 on September 27, 1962. Such ratification will take effect from March 27, 1963.

By means of a communication which was delivered in Berne on May 18, 1963, the Royal Government of Saudi Arabia notified the Swiss Federal Council of its accession to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. This accession, which is free of any reservation, will come into effect on November 18, 1963.

By an Act dated 20 February 1974, Australia notified the Swiss Government, depositary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, of the withdrawal of the reservation formulated by the Australian Government at the time of its ratification, on 14 October 1958, of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

By the terms of a letter which was received by the Federal Political Department in Berne on June 20, 1961, the Government of the Federation of Nigeria has confirmed the participation of that State in the Geneva Conventions of 1949, participation which took effect on the date of the independence of that country, namely on October 1, 1960.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has received from the Federal Political Department in Berne, duly certified copies of the instruments by which the Governments of Paraguay and Colombia have ratified the Geneva Conventions of 1949. These two ratifications will take effect on April 23, 1962 for Paraguay and on May 8, 1962 in the case of Colombia.

A delegation of the Alliance of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of the USSR consisting of Dr. Fiodor Zakharov, Vice-President and Mrs. Lilia Tcherkasskaya, Head of Foreign Relations, visited the ICRC in March 1968 to discuss questions of mutual interest.