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Movement coordination and cooperation: extract from ICRC Annual Report 2009
19-05-2010 Annual Report
The ICRC works closely with National Societies and their International Federation to respond to humanitarian needs in accordance with the Movement’s Statutes and policies.
ICRC delegations and headquarters continued to receive substantial guidance and support from the Division for Coordination and Cooperation within the Movement regarding cooperation between the ICRC and other Movement components. In particular, partnerships were strengthened with the National Society in countries and contexts where the ICRC had major operations, such as Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Yemen.
Operational partnerships and capacity-building with National Societies
In line with the ICRC’s pledge, enhancing the organization’s capacity to be an effective partner for host National Societies remained a top priority. Major achievements made in consultation with field delegations and National Societies included: the adoption of field guidelines on partnership project cycle management, a new division of tasks within delegations to ensure the mainstreaming of cooperation across all field programmes, and the revision of planning tools, partnership agreement formats and financial procedures. Field tests and “lessons learnt” exercises involving four delegations were reviewed to verify the relevance of the approach and tools. All ICRC delegations were requested to identify possible operational partnerships with host National Societies, resulting in 49 out of 61 dele gations planning to forge closer partnerships in 2010.
Restoring family links is a major dimension of ICRC capacity-building support for National Societies under the Restoring Family Links Strategy for the Movement, adopted in 2007. The Division participated in the Implementation Group set up to oversee implementation of the Strategy and worked with the International Federation to ensure complementary and targeted organizational development and disaster-management efforts.
National Societies visiting or willing to visit detained migrants, refugees and asylum seekers received guidance and support for related activities. This included guidelines developed by the ICRC in consultation with National Societies and an ICRC workshop on specific issues regarding the detention of migrants, restoring family links and other protection issues.
Throughout 2009, National Societies worldwide conducted a broad variety of activities jointly with the ICRC to commemorate the Battle of Solferino, including first-aid training and demonstrations, concerts, film festivals, photo exhibitions, round-tables and press conferences.
Support for Movement coordination
The Division facilitated ICRC operations in Pakistan and during the major Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip by mobilizing additional staff for the organization’s rapid deployment and response mechanism. It helped develop a system to facilitate National Society contributions of staff, services and goods to ICRC emergency operations and supported a joint ICRC – Palestine Red Crescent Society “lessons learnt” exercise after the Gaza crisis.
ICRC delegations were helped to establish Movement coordination mechanisms. Memoranda of understanding, in accordance with the Supplementary Measures to the Seville Agreement, were ne wly signed or extended in Afghanistan, Colombia, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Sri Lanka and Sudan, and negotiations were under way in Haiti, the Philippines and Sierra Leone.
Key partnership meetings were convened in Geneva on the Movement’s operations in the Gaza Strip and Pakistan, and in Kuala Lumpur on operations in Sri Lanka, in close cooperation with the National Societies involved and the International Federation.
Regular dialogue helped optimize coordination with the International Federation’s regional structure. The specific role of ICRC delegates as Federation counterparts was consolidated in Kuala Lumpur and Panama, while regional coordination was strengthened in Africa and the Middle East. This facilitated Movement coordination and helped harmonize support for National Societies.
During the annual meeting of National Societies working internationally, participants discussed the economic crisis and fundraising, the positioning of the Movement in the humanitarian sector, and topics for the 2009 Council of Delegates.
Forty-two National Society leaders fine-tuned their skills at two Leadership Development courses jointly organized by the International Federation and the ICRC, one in English and, for the first time, one in Arabic.
The Division also helped test the newly developed IMPACT course organized by National Societies for their staff working internationally and ensured ICRC participation in 17 IMPACT courses. To enhance Movement coordination, all training courses, including ICRC internal staff training, specifically cover the Seville Agreement and its Supplementary Measures.
The Joint ICRC/International Federation Commission for National Society Statutes cont inued to help National Societies adhere at all times to the Fundamental Principles by strengthening their legal base. The Commission met seven times in 2009 and provided formal comments and recommendations to more than 40 Societies on their draft or adopted statutes. Ten Societies also received guidance on the revision of national legislation. The Commission reported to the 2009 Council of Delegates on its activities and the trends identified for the 2008–2009 period, in particular reflecting on how best to support Societies in their commitment to adopt statutes in conformity with the Movement’s minimum requirements by 2010. The Commission produced recommendations on the revision process of National Society statutes, specifying the reasons why it is important to revise statutes, and what is needed for a successful revision process.
The Division dealt with roughly 50 inquiries in 2009 about the proper use of the red cross, red crescent and red crystal emblems, providing advice and recommendations to ICRC delegations, National Societies, government authorities and private individuals. A major achievement was the completion of a study on operational, commercial and other non-operational issues involving the use of the emblems after consultations with all States and Movement components. The Council of Delegates welcomed the study and called on the Movement’s components to implement and promote its recommendations.
The ICRC continued to attach great importance to assisting National Societies in protecting their integrity in accordance with the Fundamental Principles. It coordinated with the International Federation on integrity matters at the delegations and in Geneva, and the two organizations intervened jointly when appropriate. It participated in the International Federation’s Compliance and Mediation Committee and contributed to the revision of the Federation’s policy on the protection of the integrity of National Societies.
The Division remained committed to guiding National Societies on operational interaction with the UN system and other external humanitarian players so as to ensure well-coordinated and complementary action while safeguarding the Movement’s distinct identity. It continued to review the format agreement used by WFP with implementing partners, with a view to producing a new model adapted specifically to the Movement, and participated in preparations for the workshop on relations with actors outside the Movement held at the 2009 Council of Delegates and in follow-up work to develop guiding principles for adoption by the next International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The Division administered various Movement funds, medals and prizes. Together with the International Federation it examined 42 applications by 35 National Societies to the Empress Shôken Fund, and decided to finance four projects. It prepared the files of candidates for the Florence Nightingale Medal and correspondence with the selected recipients. It organized 45 visits by 137 National Society leaders and representatives to ICRC headquarters.
A key priority was to coordinate the ICRC’s thematic and organizational preparations for the 2009 Council of Delegates. The Council met for the first time in Africa, at the invitation of the Kenyan Red Cross Society, which coordinated with the ICRC and the International Federation. Thanks to extensive consultations with National Societies on the issues to be addressed in a resolution and the National Societies’ close involvement in the working groups preparing resolutions, strategies and guidelines, the 11 proposed resolutions were passed unanimously. One full day was devoted to six workshops giving all National Societies the opportunity to express their views. This enhanced National Society involvement in developing and debating Movement policy issues will be maintained in the 2011 statutory meetings.
The need to strengthen respect for and protection of health care in armed conflicts and other situations of violence was recognized in a resolution that proposed to place the matter on the agenda of the 31st International Conference in 2011 for discussion with States. The Council welcomed the updated Movement Strategy on Landmines, Cluster Munitions and other Explosive Remnants of War, which replaces the 1999 Movement Strategy on Landmines. The drafting and consultation process for both these policy items was spearheaded by the ICRC.
The ICRC initiated a process to develop the Movement policy on internal displacement with a core group of National Societies with specific experience in internal displacement and the International Federation. A draft policy was shared with all National Societies before its adoption at the Council. The policy document contains 10 principles, comments and guidance. In parallel, the Division participated in the work of the reference group to develop an International Federation policy on international migration, contributing in fields of ICRC expertise, particularly restoring family links, detention and other protection issues. The policy was endorsed by the International Federation’s General Assembly and welcomed by the Council of Delegates.
The Division provided support to the independent Monitor of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Magen David Adom in Israel and the Palestine Red Crescent Society and participated in four missions to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory in 2009. In accordance with Resolution 2 of the 2007 Council of Delegates and Resolution 5 of the 30th International Conference, the Monitor produced an interim report in March, followed by a comprehensive report to the Council of Delegates in Novemb er 2009. The Council requested that monitoring be further strengthened until full implementation of the agreements covered.
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