International Control Commission
Encyclopedia
The International Control Commission (ICC), formally called the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam (ICSC), was an international force established in 1954 that oversaw the implementation of the Geneva Accords
that ended the First Indochina War
with the Partition of Vietnam
. It reported on the progress of the ceasefire
s and any violations against them. The force comprised troops and officers from Canada
, Poland
, and India
representing the non-communist
, communist
, and non-aligned
blocs respectively.
Although supposedly neutral
, the members of the ICC often took sides in the Vietnam War
(Second Indochina War) and even offered aid to both sides. Canadian personnel were known to have done intelligence
work for the United States
during their bombing of North Vietnam
. Actions such as these often led members of the ICC to become targets with several members losing their lives. Even with admissions from Hanoi, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong are believed to have killed ICC members.
With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords
of 1973, the ICC was dissolved and replaced with the International Commission of Control and Supervision
(ICCS).
Geneva Conference (1954)
The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...
that ended the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
with the Partition of Vietnam
Partition of Vietnam
The Partition of Vietnam was the establishment of the 17th parallel as the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone in 1954, splitting Vietnam into halves after the First Indochina War.The Geneva Conference was held at the conclusion of the First Indochina War...
. It reported on the progress of the ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
s and any violations against them. The force comprised troops and officers from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
representing the non-communist
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, communist
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, and non-aligned
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
blocs respectively.
Although supposedly neutral
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
, the members of the ICC often took sides in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
(Second Indochina War) and even offered aid to both sides. Canadian personnel were known to have done intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
work for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during their bombing of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. Actions such as these often led members of the ICC to become targets with several members losing their lives. Even with admissions from Hanoi, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong are believed to have killed ICC members.
With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords of 1973 intended to establish peace in Vietnam and an end to the Vietnam War, ended direct U.S. military involvement, and temporarily stopped the fighting between North and South Vietnam...
of 1973, the ICC was dissolved and replaced with the International Commission of Control and Supervision
International Commission of Control and Supervision
During the Vietnam War, the International Commission of Control and Supervision was created to replace the International Control Commission following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27 January 1973.The Protocol...
(ICCS).