In her capacity as President of the Luxembourg Red Cross, Her Royal Highness participated in the opening of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva on Tuesday 8 December 2015.
The Grand Duchess was accompanied on her visit by a delegation from the Grand Duchy, under the chairmanship of Jean-Marc Hoscheit, Luxembourg Ambassador with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Luxembourg delegation was among those arriving from 198 national Societies of the International Federation of the Red Cross and from the 194 States who signed the Geneva Conventions.
During the general debate, the Grand Duchess addressed the audience to speak on the subject of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict and crises such as natural disasters.
"We cannot afford anymore to bypass women in the peacemaking processes, in the elaboration of peace treaties and in the policy making on prevention or prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence," Her Royal Highness stated. "I want us to go beyond conventional images of women as victims of war and consider the important inputs a woman can contribute to translate individual grievances into legitimate social concerns."
HRH the Grand Duchess also attended the unveiling of a cold weather shelter developed by the Shelter Researh Unit of the International Federation of the Red Cross, a flagship international project of the Luxembourg Red Cross in cooperation with several partners.
The Grand Duchess also signed a solemn promise with the nine countries of the group of Small European Red Cross National Societies (SENS), which will aim to strengthen information exchange, cooperation on international issues and the coordination of national and international projects including commitment to young people. The group was created in 2014 on the initiative of the Luxembourg Red Cross.
Photos by Cour Grand-Ducale/ Alexandre Gelebart
