The International Committee of the Red Cross - Research Paper Example

The International Committee of the Red Cross Background The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded in 1863. It was formed due to the efforts of Henry Dunant to assist injured soldiers at the battle of Solferino in 1859. The core duty of the organization is to provide humanitarian assistance to people during conflicts, violence and war. It functions as a neutral and independent organization based on the principles adopted in 1949 by the Geneva Conventions. Help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war. The organization has a workforce of 12000 people spread in over 80 countries. The ICRC runs operates by depending on donations from well wishers, governments, Private corporations and the societies that operate under the umbrella of the ICRC. The ICRC in made up of the Red Crescent Movement and many national Red Cross Societies from different parts of the world. These partners are usually contacted to assist in cases of conflict and disasters. Though the ICRC has permanent international mandate to conduct its activities due to the Geneva Conventions, it still is a private organization operating under the Swiss law The ICRC offers monetary assistance to its member organizations to assist them in their day to day operations and for humanitarian work. The best performing societies are also awarded as recognition of their hard work so as to motivate them to keep up the good work. Organizational Structure The ICRC structure comprises of an Assembly, an Assembly Council and a Directorate. The Council has specific delegated powers with regard to specific matters concerning the ICRC. The Directorate acts as the executive body of the ICRC. The Assembly is made up of 25 members who are of Swiss nationality. The organization is currently chaired by Jakob Kellenberger, Ph.D. It also has two vice presidents to who assist the chair. The Directorate is made up of five members. The Directorate is headed by a Director-General. International advisors are usually appointed by the ICRC to serve for a period of four years. Their work is to advise the ICRC on policy issues and decision making. They help the organization to deal with political and humanitarian issues encountered in a professional manner in accordance with internationally accepted conventions. Apart from the top administrators, the ICRC has a network of national Red Cross societies that are headed by national executive directors. These directors coordinate the societies on behalf of the umbrella body to facilitate smooth operation of the organization. Operations The ICRC dedicates itself to alleviation and prevention of any form of human suffering as a result of war or natural disasters such as epidemics and floods. The organization is divided into sub groups to ensure proper distribution of manpower. It consists of the ICRC, the IFRC, the national Red Cross societies present in186 nations and the Red Crescent Societies. All these organizations work under the umbrella body that is the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC main mission is to protect human lives during armed conflicts and other violent occasions and provide necessary aid to the victims. It serves to look after the interests of the most vulnerable and alleviate their suffering. The societies that operate at the national level are meant to assist their respective governments when a crisis situation arises. Their mandate is to provide social programs, health services where necessary and also assist in disaster relief. In the event of war, they should assist civilians and at the same time cater for the armed forces. For any national society to be part of the movement, it must be seek permission from the ICRC after which it can be counted as a member of the International Federation. A general assembly meeting is usually held after every two years to discuss the progress and welfare of the organization as well as contribute ideas on how to improve on the running of the organization. Logistics The logistical operations of the Red Cross are coordinated from the headquarters in Geneva. The ICRC has recently constructed a new logistics centre located in Geneva. The new centre boasts of a large storage facility, offices, ICRC archives and a transport centre. The floor area of the complex is 11500 m2. In the spirit of familiarizing with the symbolic white tents synonymous with Red Cross, the logistics complex is made of a white canvas on the outer side. This is also similar to the canvas used by the trucks belonging to the organization. White color was seen to be ideal as it presents neutrality, the core principle that governs the operations of the ICRC. This design is unique and clearly stands out from other structure in the surrounding area. The logistics complex is well equipped with a very large storage space. This space is used to store emergency supplies such as medicine and relief foodstuff that the ICRC usually supplies to disaster stricken areas. The complex is also adjacent to the offices to ensure efficiency and proper coordination. This helps to monitor all logistical operations with a keen eye and thus improves on the overall service delivery of the organization. Finance The ICRC runs on funds acquired through voluntary contributions. The common contributors are governments, the member societies of the Red Cross, international nongovernmental organizations and even private persons. An annual appeal is usually launched at the ICRC headquarters every year to raise funds to cover the projected costs. An annual report is also produced to account for the expenditures of the previous year. This is done so as to encourage transparency and ensure funds are not misappropriated. The present document contains an initial appeal for CHF 1,046.9 million to cover ICRC field activities in 2011. The 2011 budget has been projected to be the largest so far. The budget details the proposed areas for expenditure and for what amount. The table below indicates the top 10 operations for 2011 budget. The ICRC requires CHF 183.5 million for the headquarters and CHF 1,046.9 million to fund emergency appeals. Recommendations As seen from the table above, a lot of finances are needed in order to keep the organization running. The projected budget shows increased expenditure. The amount for emergency appeals already exceeds that for the previous year by CHF 110.5 million. This is an 11.8 % rise in costs without factoring in the budget extensions incurred for the current year. This means that more funds are needed this year in order continue the services that the ICRC provides. It is in this light that the ICRC is seeking more volunteers to contribute towards the organization so as to help keep the organization running. References International Committee of the Red Cross. International Committee of the Red Cross, 17 Nov 2011. Web. 17 Nov 2011. Read More