The Assembly is the supreme governing body of the ICRC. It oversees all the ICRC's activities. It formulates policy, defines general objectives and institutional strategy, and approves the budget and accounts. It nominates the directors and the head of Internal Audit. Composed of between 15 and 25 co-opted members of Swiss nationality, the Assembly is collegial in character. Its President and two Vice-Presidents are the President and Vice-Presidents of the ICRC.

Mr Jakob Kellenberger, President, Doctorate from the University of Zurich, former Swiss Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1999), President since 2000

Ms Christine Beerli, permanent vice-president, Lawyer, former Managing director of Department of Technique and Information Technology of Bernese University of Applied Sciences, former Senator (Swiss Council of States) (member of the assemby since 2005 and permanent Vice-President since 2008).

Mr Olivier Vodoz, vice-president, Bachelor of Laws, Barrister, former Deputy in the Geneva Grand Conseil and former President of the Conseil d'État of the Republic and Canton of Geneva (1998).

Mr Paolo Bernasconi, Bachelor of Laws, Barrister, Professor of fiscal law and economic criminal law at the Universities of St. Gallen, Zurich and Milan (Bocconi), former Public Prosecutor in Lugano (1987).

Mr Jacques Forster, Doctor of Economics, former Professor at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies in Geneva, former permanent Vice-President of the ICRC 1999-2007 (1988).

Mr Jacques Moreillon, Bachelor of Laws, Doctor of Political Science, former Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, former Director General at the ICRC (1988).

Mr Daniel Thürer, Master of Laws (Cambridge), Doctor of Laws, Professor at the University of Zurich (1991).

Mr André von Moos, Doctor of Laws, Bachelor of Economics, SMP certificate of the Harvard Business School, former Chairman of the von Moos Group, industrialist (1998).

Ms Gabrielle Nanchen, Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Lausanne School of Social Studies, former Member of the Swiss National Council (1998).

Mr Jean de Courten, Bachelor of Laws, former delegate and former Director of Operations at the ICRC (1998).

Mr Yves Sandoz, Doctor of Laws, Lecturer at the University of Geneva, former Director of International Humanitarian Law and Principles at the ICRC (2002).

Ms Claude Le Coultre, Professor at the faculty of medicine of the University of Geneva, vice-dean in charge of humanitarian relations and cooperation with the countries of the South and East, Geneva University Hospital Delegate for humanitarian affairs (2004).

Ms Paola Ghillani, Pharmacist from the University of Lausanne, certificate from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, businesswoman, former director general of the Max Havelaar Foundation (Switzerland) (2005).

Mr Jenö C.A. Staehelin, Doctor of Laws (Bern), Master of Laws (Harvard), former Swiss Ambassador in Japan and former Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York (2006).

Ms Christiane Augsburger, Nurse, Bachelor of Education Sciences from Geneva University, Master of Health Care from Webster University in Geneva, Diploma in the Management of nursing schools from the Swiss Red Cross College of Nursing (2007).

Ms Anne de Boccard, Bachelor of Political Science, diploma from the Swiss Banking School, chief executive officer of Citadel Finance in Geneva (1999), former vice-president of the Committee of the Geneva Red Cross (2007).

Mr Bernard G.R. Daniel, Bachelor of Laws, IMD Diploma (Lausanne). Former Nestle Secretary-General and previously Secretary to the Board of Directors, former ICRC delegate. (2009)

Mr Rolf Soiron, Doctorate in history, PMD from Harvard Business school. Former chairman of the management boards of Holcim, Lonza and Nobel Biocare, former member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Basel-City. (2009)


Honorary Members: Mr Jean Abt, Mr Peter Arbenz, Professor Jean-Philippe Assal, Professor Jean-François Aubert, Mr Ernst A. Brugger, Ms Susy Brüschweiler, Mr Georges-André Cuendet, Mr Max Daetwyler, Mr Josef Feldmann, Doctor Athos Gallino, Ms Renée Guisan, Doctor Rodolphe de Haller, Mr Pierre Keller, Ms Liselotte Kraus-Gurny, Mr Pierre Languetin, Professor Jakob Nüesch, Professor Anne Petitpierre, Ms Francesca Pometta, Mr Eric Roethlisberger, Professor Dietrich Schindler, Mr Cornelio Sommaruga

The ICRC has a president and two vice-presidents. The president, who bears primary responsibility for the ICRC’s external relations, represents the ICRC on the international scene and, in close cooperation with the directorate general, handles the ICRC’s humanitarian diplomacy. At the internal level, he attends to the cohesion, smooth running and development of the organization.

Mr Jakob Kellenberger, President
Ms Christine Beerli, permanent vice-president
Mr Olivier Vodoz, vice-president

The Assembly Council is a subsidiary body of the Assembly. It prepares the Assembly's activities and takes decisions on matters within its competence, in particular strategic options relating to general policy on funding, personnel and communication. It serves as a link between the Directorate and the Assembly, to which it reports regularly. Composed of five members elected by the Assembly, it is chaired by the president of the ICRC.

Mr Jakob Kellenberger, President
Ms Christine Beerli, permanent vice-president
Ms Claude Le Coultre, member of the Committee
Mr Jacques Moreillon, member of the Committee
Mr Jenö C.A. Staehelin, member of the Committee

The Directorate is the executive body of the ICRC, responsible for applying and ensuring application of the general objectives and institutional strategy defined by the Assembly or the Assembly Council. The Directorate is also responsible for the smooth running of the ICRC and for the efficiency of its staff as a whole.
At its meeting of 25 April 2002, the Assembly appointed the members of the new directorate (Press Release, 25 April 2002), chaired by the Director-General (Press Release, 21 February 2002):

Mr Angelo Gnaedinger, Director-General

Mr Pierre Kraehenbuehl, Director of Operations
Mr Jacques Stroun, Director of Human Resources
Ms Doris Pfister, Director of Resources and Operational Support
Mr Yves Daccord, Director of Communication
Mr Philip Spoerri, Director for International Law and Cooperation within the Movement

See also their biography