Frequently asked questions: The ICRC's approach to confidentiality

Our focus is always on helping victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and we know from experience that confidential dialogue is vital to this. Confidentiality means we can keep a dialogue going with all sides and better address violations or abuses as they are happening, rather than after the fact.

In rare circumstances, we may also share our concerns on a confidential basis with selected third parties with a view to influencing the behaviour of parties to an armed conflict or those involved in other situations of violence. This is out of recognition that all states have an obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, and states that support a party to an armed conflict with economic or miliary support, are often in a unique position to influence their behaviour. 

We only publicly denounce when we have exhausted every other reasonable means of influencing that party, and when those means have not produced the desired result. This decision is never taken lightly. We work in many places where outside scrutiny – let alone public criticism – is extremely unwelcome. 

Any decision to publicly denounce parties must weigh the risk it might pose to the people we are trying to help, by undermining the protection and assistance that is our core purpose. For us, confidentiality does not mean silence: it means we are constantly talking to all parties, trying to resolve issues then and there.