INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS

International Red Cross

International Red Cross

Red Cross is the number one international emergency response organization. It was founded in 1881 and it's areas of service needs include community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs (Dembinski, 1988).

Aims, Values and Mission

The mission of the Red Cross is "Caring for People in Crisis", which is the core aim of every part of the charity. In fulfilling this mission, all volunteers and staff must abide by the seven fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which are(Haug, 1993):

Humanity

Impartiality

Neutrality

Independence

Voluntary Service

Unity

Universality

ICRC and Outsourced Services

Since its creation in 1863, the ICRC has offered humanitarian services to protect and assist war victims. Over the years, its work has been recognized by the international community and has found its way into multilateral treaties like the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. These instruments mention the ICRC in a number of articles. Under these treaties, the ICRC is authorized to undertake a wide variety of activities (Bindschedler-Robert, 1996, p. 255). For example, as part of its mandate, the ICRC could offer its services to the parties to armed clashes. The ICRC has a formal right to visit prisoners of war and civilian internees. It shall be permitted to conduct private interviews with the prisoners and internees, without witnesses. The ICRC also could as a Substitute of a Protecting Power. Through its Central Tracing Agency, the ICRC also acts as an intermediary between parties of armed clashes. It transmits information on visited prisoners of war or interned civilians to the other party in the clashes, who could in turn inform the relevant families. This system is also used to inform families of soldiers who have died in the battlefield. In order to allow it to fulfill its mandate, Article 81 of Additional Protocol I provides that the Parties to the clashes shall grant the ICRC “all facilities within their power so as to enable it to carry out the humanitarian functions assigned to it by the Conventions and this Protocol in order to make sure defense and assistance to the victims of conflicts.” (Bindschedler-Robert, 1996, p. 255) 

Stakeholders

In order to ensure the effective management of the risks inherent in its activities, ICRC has been established as a national body, with nationally consistent policy and practices. It has its own Board, and its Chairman reports to the Red Cross Council within a framework of delegations established by the Board. ARCBS reports to its stakeholders through its own Annual Report (ICRC, 2008).

Structure

The Council is responsible for the general direction of Red Cross. It meets at least once a year at the Annual General Meeting, and has up to 30 members elected from all State and Territory Divisions. The membership is made up as follows:

23 voting members: the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Honorary Treasurer, the Chairman of each of the eight State and Territory Divisions, 11 Representatives taken from the States and Territories, and a ...