Council of Delegates 1999: Resolution 5

Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Geneva, Switzerland, 29 - 30 October 1999

The Council of Delegates,

recalling that in its resolution 6, the 1997 Council of Delegates adopted by consensus the Agreement on the Organisation of the International Activities of the Components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,

 noting with appreciation the report on the implementation of the Seville Agreement for the years 1998-1999 submitted to the Standing Commission by the ICRC and the International Federation,

 further noting that this Report includes also the report of the ICRC/Federation task force on functional cooperation established in accordance with Resolution 7 of the 1997 Council of Delegates,

 taking into account  the comments and observations made by the National Societies, ICRC and the International Federation during the session of the Council of Delegates,

 thanking the National Societies of Afghanistan, Canada, Mozambique, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe for their involvement in the functional cooperation task force,

 stressing the importance that all components of the Movement pursue the implementation of the Seville Agreement and enhance their efforts in training volunteers and staff on the Agreement,

 noting nonetheless that, within the framework of the Seville Agreement, more needs to be done both to improve the preparedness of the Movement to respond to emergencies and to enhance the long-term operational capacities of National Societies,

1. requests the Standing Commission to establish a Working Group composed of ICRC, International Federation Secretariat as well as of National Societies' personalities with relevant knowledge and experience to develop proposals for an overall strategy for the Movement, designed to achieve the goals identified in the Preamble of the Seville Agreement, drawing on previous reports on co-operation within the Movement, on the ICRC Avenir Study, on the Federation's Strategy 2010 and other current work evaluating operations in the field;

 2. further requests the Standing Commission, as a first priority within the context of the Working Group, to establish an Ad Hoc Group on the conduct of international relief operations. This Group, to be composed of suitably qualified persons drawn from the ICRC, International Federation and National Societies with direct experience of relief operations, assisted by independent experts, and drawing on recent operational experience should, as a matter of urgency, develop operational models designed to facilitate immediate field action, coordination of appeals for resources, effective management of all the resources of the Movement by the relevant Lead Agency, and the development of the capacity of National Societies affected by disasters, thus enabling rapid and effective relief to be brought to the victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters;

3. further requests the Standing Commission to consult with the interested parties for the implementation of the proposals emerging from the Ad Hoc Group at the earliest possible moment, ensuring that they are integrated with the longer term work on the development of an overall Movement Strategy.