Cédric Cotter

This is super exciting

After years of calls, events, and track changes, Brian Drohan and I are excited to announce the publication of our edited volume, Military Humanitarianism: Aid Operations and Armed Forces, with @cornellupress.bsky.social in July 2026!

www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

So excited to see this out (soon) - @drmargottudor.bsky.social and @briandrohan.bsky.social did such an amazing job!!!

Faramir, très clairement. Et si on peut comprendre la nécessité d'ajouter une "épreuve" pour le groupe Frodo dans les Deux Tours, ça a trop dénaturé un personnage sage, ami de Gandalf, et lucide.
Le traitement de Denethor n'est pas top non plus. Le personnage du livre est bien plus complexe.

What is the ICRC Advisory Service? | International Humanitarian Law YouTube video by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The @icrc.org Advisory Service on International Humanitarian Law #IHL supports states in translating their international obligations into domestic legislation, policy and practice to create a universal culture of compliance with #IHL.
Here’s how👇

youtu.be/bPJT2H4czj4

The ICRC's audiovisual archive online portal (AVA) is celebrating its 10th anniversary (and one week)! It was launched on 16 February 2016.

avarchives.icrc.org

Reprisals: another battlefield of the First World War - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library Introduction Contrary to popular belief, the First World War did not remain in the trenches. The war had a direct impact on civilians, the economy, cities, ideas, science and the very rules that were ...

Reprisals: another battlefield of the First World War

The English version of my blogpost is now online
blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

The materiality of archives: from preservation to consultation - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library In the absence of digitised copies, researchers must work with original documents. Consulting original archive documents provides privileged access to historical sources. It makes us aware of the hist...

"The materiality of archives: from preservation to consultation"
An excellent set of guidelines for researchers on how to correctly handle archival material in a reading room, by my colleague Camille Meyre
blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Le CICR a commencé un ambitieux programme de numérisation de ses archives publiques (archives générales, archives agence, collections patrimoniales de la bibliothèque).

Plus d'informations sur les objectifs et conséquences pour nos publics ici : blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Big news! We’re kicking off the operational phase of our most ambitious digitization project yet. One step closer to online access to the ICRC archives and library collections for all.
Read more ⬇️

From paper files to digital access: the digital transformation of the ICRC Archives - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library On 17 January 1996, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opened its general archives to the public, marking a turning point in the possibility of analysing the history of the ICRC, huma...

The ICRC has launched an ambitious digitization programme that will facilitate access to funds collections and enable a truly global reach for our unique archival materials

blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Thirty years ago, on 17th January 1996, the ICRC Assembly decided to open its archives to the general public.

A Memory of Solferino: The ‘Fiaccolata’ and a Brief Research Guide - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library A humanitarian torchlight procession in Solferino and a research guide to the archival and library materials about Solferino and its enduring humanitarian legacy.

A Memory of Solferino: The ‘Fiaccolata’ and a Brief Research Guide

New contribution on a great experience and the origins of a prominent book by my colleague @clarapalmisano.bsky.social

blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Cédric Cotter
Vue sur la vallée de Derborence, que mes ancêtres ont arpentée depuis des siècles, pour clore cette année 2025.

A toutes et tous, le meilleur pour 2026.

The First World War postcards: Reaching out to the families of prisoners of war - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library During the First World War, the International Prisoner-of-War Agency (IPOWA) of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published a collection of postcards that depicted what kind of place...

The blogpost is also available in English: blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Les cartes postales de la Première Guerre mondiale : une initiative au service des familles - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library Au cours de la Première Guerre mondiale, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR), par le biais de son Agence internationale des prisonniers de guerre (AIPG), s’attelle à faire éditer des cart...

Les cartes postales de la Première Guerre mondiale : une initiative au service des familles. Une contribution de mon collègue Damian Gonzalez sur Cross-Files blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Et c'est valable pour les autres sciences humaines et sociales. Notre chef de délégation à Kigali en 1994 avait étudié la littérature allemande médiévale et s'est révélé être la personne parfaite dans ces circonstances tragiques.

Dans l'organisation où je travaille, je ne compte plus le nombre de collègues qui ont fait des études d'histoire et ont atteint des postes clés ou hauts niveaux hiérarchiques (chef/cheffe de délégation, chef adjoint, coordinateur, ancienne directrice-générale adjointe, conseillers, etc.)

This includes publications from the ICRC at the time, reports of PoWs camps visits (they were public at that time), as well as secondary literature.
We also have numerous from WWI on our audiovisual archives: avarchives.icrc.org

The ICRC during World War I - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library World War I represents a major turn in the history of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The explosion of humanitarian needs on the ground triggered a rapid and substantial transformation o...

Dear Ana,
Thank you for your question. I'll answer in English.
Most of our archives related to the First World War are on paper only and have not been digitized yet.
But some collections are already online. You can find links in this article: blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Les représailles, un autre champ de bataille de la Première Guerre mondiale - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library Cet article présente certaines représailles pendant la Première Guerre mondial. Il s’intéresse ensuite à l’action du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) face à ce phénomène. Une dernière sec...

En attendant la version anglaise, le texte en français est aussi disponible ici: blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Las represalias, otro campo de batalla de la Primera Guerra Mundial - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library Introducción Lejos de los estereotipos, la Primera Guerra Mundial no se limitó a las trincheras. La población civil, la economía, las ciudades, las ideas, la ciencia o, incluso, las normas que debían ...

Mi artículo sobre represalias durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y la reacción del CICR acaba de ser traducido al español. Está disponible en Cross-Files, el blog de Archivos y Biblioteca del CICR.

blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Important notice: AI-generated archival references

Important notice: AI-generated archival references www.icrc.org/en/article/i...

One week left to apply

La neutralité engagée Grâce à la dynamique lancée lors d’un atelier en 2024 sur l’institution humanitaire créée en 1915 par Alphonse XIII, le Bureau de la Guerre européenne, ce colloque permettra de réunir des initiativ...

Call for paper on a fascinatig topic:
The Committed Neutrality. A Transnational History of Spanish Humanitarianism in a Global Context from the First World War to the 1920s

calenda.org/1305081

The ICRC Advisory Service: 30 years of expertise in strengthening the national implementation of IHL - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library In 2025, the ICRC’s Advisory Service celebrates its 30th anniversary[1]. For three decades, this specialized team has played a pivotal role in helping States translate IHL obligations into concrete na...

The ICRC’s Advisory Service, a specialized team that helps States translate IHL into concrete national legislation, celebrates its 30th anniversary.
To mark this milestone, I had the opportunity to write a short article about its history.
blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

EVENT: Implementing IHL in Challenging Times: A Panel Discussion to Mark the 30th Anniversary of the ICRC’s Advisory Service on IHL

📅 Save the date: 20 November | Implementing IHL in Challenging Times

Marking 30 years of the ICRC’s Advisory Service on #IHL, this event reaffirms that even in challenging times, implementing IHL is both possible and essential.

🔗 Sign up now: bit.ly/4nKxhgH

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict: Books Selection - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library November 6th marks the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. For this occasion, we have put together a selection of books on this subject from...

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict: Books Selection

New blogpost on Cross-Files by my colleague Melissa Skander
blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...

Histoires d'évasion de prisonniers de guerre - Episode 1 : Roger Bushell,le professionnel - Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library Derrière les barbelés des camps de prisonniers de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, certains ont tenté l’impossible pour retrouver la liberté. Les Archives et la Bibliothèque du Comité international de la C...

Histoires d’évasion de prisonniers de guerre – Episode 1 : Roger Bushell, le professionnel.

Super blogpost écrit par mes collègues Marie Allemann, Sonia Crenn et Charlotte Mohr, entre autres à partir des archives du CICR.

blogs.icrc.org/cross-files/...