20 years of the ICRC Code of Conduct for Disaster Relief: what do we need to improve?

The Code of Conduct for Disaster Relief of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was written for use by the International Red Cross, Red Crescent Movements, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in disaster relief. The code was published just after the Rwanda genocide in April, 1994.1 The code consists of a purpose and four definitions; it outlines ten general principles of conduct, and includes three annexes of recommendations to governments of disaster-affected countries, donor governments, and intergovernmental organisations.