Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black President, is commemorated every year on 18 July, his birthday, also known as Nelson Mandela International Day.
Geneva International Conference Centre. Pre-recorded address by Nelson Mandela, during the welcoming ceremony of the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Photos: GASSMANN, Thierry/ICRC
Mr Mandela was visited several times by ICRC staff during his 27 years in prison. He subsequently said: “What matters is not only the good the ICRC brings but the evil it prevents.” The UN recently adopted a revised text of Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, named the Mandela Rules, in honour of the legacy of Nelson Mandela.