text: Prisoners of War and Other Detainees
  from among the POWs. The detaining power may not require prisoners’ representatives to perform other
  work if doing so makes their duties more difficult (GPW art. 81).
  3-98. Prisoners’ representatives who are transferred shall be allowed a reasonable time to acquaint their
  successors with current affairs. The reasons for the dismissal of a prisoners’ representative must be
  communicated to the protecting power (GPW art. 81).
  THE CENTRAL PRISONERS OF WAR INFORMATION AGENCY AND THE CENTRAL TRACING
  AGENCY
  3-99. The GPW provides for the creation of a Central Prisoners of War Information Agency in a neutral
  country for the purpose of collecting all the information it may obtain through official or private channels
  respecting POWs, and to transmit it as rapidly as possible to the POWs’ country of origin or power on which
  they depend (GPW art. 123). This role generally has been performed by the ICRC through its Central Tracing
  Agency.
  INFORMATION BUREAUS FOR POWS
  3-100. On outbreak of a conflict and in all cases of occupation, each State party to the conflict must establish
  an official national information bureau for POWs in its custody. The main purpose of the information bureau
  is to receive all reportable information concerning POWs in the custody of the detaining party and forward
  it expeditiously to the parties concerned through the Central Prisoner of War Information Agency and the
  protecting power (GPW art. 122). In recent practice, the United States has established a National Detainee
  Reporting Center that can perform this purpose (see Joint Publication [JP] 3-63, Detainee Operations).
  3-101. The State concerned must (GPW art. 122):
  * Ensure the information bureau has the necessary accommodation, equipment, and staff to
  discharge its responsibilities efficiently. POWs may be employed in the information bureau under
  work conditions established in the GPW as outlined in paragraphs 3-109 through 3-114, infra;
  * Within the shortest possible period, provide the information bureau identifying information about
  each person it detains and an address to which correspondence may be sent; and
  * When applicable, provide the information bureau in the shortest period possible information
  related to transfer, release, repatriation, escape, recapture, admission to a hospital, or death.
  Information concerning the state of health of a POW who is seriously wounded, injured, or sick
  must be provided regularly, every week if possible.
  3-102. The following summarizes the procedure through which reports of enemy POWs captured by U.S.
  forces or in U.S. hands are processed: The Theater Detainee Information Center receives reports from all
  subordinate POW facilities, consolidates them, and reconciles any discrepancies. This center then forwards
  the report to the National Detainee Reporting Center. The National Detainee Reporting Center forwards the
  reports to the ICRC Central Tracing Agency (and any protecting power). The Central Tracing Agency then
  transmits the reports to the appropriate country for each POW.
  3-103. Information bureau responsibilities include (GPW arts. 122-123):
  * On behalf of the detaining power, providing available information regarding POWs to the Central
  Prisoners of War Information Agency and, if applicable, to the designated protecting power.
  * Responding to authorized inquiries received about POWs, consistent with the protection from
  insults and public curiosity.
  * Ensuring that its correspondence is properly authenticated.
  * Collecting and forwarding personal valuables, currency, and important documents, left by POWs
  who died, escaped, or who were repatriated or released to the Central Prisoners of War Information
  Agency and, if appropriate, the protecting power. These items should be forwarded in sealed
  packets and accompanied by both an inventory of the packet’s contents and statements providing
  clear and complete information as to the identity of the person who owned the articles.