Annual report

18
Annual Report 
2022

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Governance and management: local knowledge driving 
global support for local action
The IFRC is one global organization working to 
coordinate the support to and development of 
its member National Societies, who are local 
actors providing humanitarian support at com-
munity level, where it is needed the most.
The organization’s structure is designed to 
promote National Society ownership of their 
IFRC, and to encourage National Society par-
ticipation in well-coordinated Federation-wide 
approaches that range from planning to resource 
mobilization, skill-sharing to global advocacy, 
operational responses across a continuum from 
preparedness to response and recovery, and 
with resilience-building and knowledge-sharing 
at every step along the way.
The IFRC defines Governance as the combination 
of processes and structures implemented by the 
governing bodies in order to inform, direct, man-
age and monitor the strategy of the organization. 
Governance is the mechanism through which 
accountability is realized, and the act of ensur-
ing compliance with legal controls. The 
General 
Assembly
 is the highest governing body of the 
IFRC. It meets every two years and comprises 
representatives from member National Societies. 
The Governing Board governs the IFRC between 
sessions of the General Assembly.
Management, led by the Secretary General and 
the IFRC’s Global Leadership Team, encom-
passes the planning, organizing, coordinating, 
and controlling of resources, processes, and 
people to accomplish IFRC’s goals and objectives. 
It prioritizes the execution of strategies, 
establishing IFRC’s influential voice in humani-
tarian agendas and supporting resilient National 
Societies. Additionally, it fulfils coordination and 
operational responsibilities within the network 
and the broader humanitarian community, while 
developing management policies and strategies 
that drive their effective and efficient implemen-
tation across the global organization.
At all times, the Governance and management of 
the IFRC work to build on recent progress made 
on strengthening integrity, transparency and 
accountability, and to strengthen cooperation 
and coordination within the International Red 
Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
While the global IFRC is managed from its head-
quarters in Geneva, Switzerland, its strategic 
direction and the core of its mandate – service 
to National Societies – are set by a Governance 
that is comprised of National Society represent-
atives from across the world, and from every 
background and walk of life.
Local perspectives and the realities of local 
action therefore inform the work done across 
the IFRC for the benefit of communities in need 
before, during, and after disasters and crises.