In 2008, the Division for Coordination and Cooperation within the Movement continued to provide substantial guidance and support to ICRC field delegations and to headquarters regarding cooperation and coordination with other components of the Movement. Particular emphasis was placed on further developing partnerships with the National Society in countries and contexts in which major ICRC operations are carried out, such as Afghanistan, Chad, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Israel and the occupied and autonomous territories, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan (Darfur). The Division also provided crucial support to the ICRC’s rapid deployment and response mechanism for major emergency crises, mobilizing additional staff to ensure optimal coordination among Movement components in the context of the Kenyan post-electoral violence, cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, the armed conflict in South Ossetia, the earthquake in Baluchistan (Pakistan) and the surge in hostilities in Gaza.

Operational partnerships and capacity-building with National Societies
Strengthening the ICRC’s capacity to be an effective partner for host National Societies was the Division’s key priority in 2008. Within the framework of the ICRC’s institutional strategy for 2007–2010 and during the process of planning for 2009, the Division advised delegations when an operational partnership with the National Society in the host country could improve the Movement’s overall humanitarian impact. It started to develop guidelines and tools with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of such operational partnerships, without neglecting efforts to bolster National Society capacities. Pilot projects involving a modification of the ICRC planning process were launched in four major contexts: Colombia, Lebanon, Nepal and Sudan. Extensive consultations on possible strategies for strengthening partnerships with National Societies were undertaken with all cooperation delegates in the field and with key units at head­quarters A project manager was recruited and a steering committee set up to guide the work process at headquarters throughout 2009 and 2010.

Enhancing National Society operational capacities has remained a priority, and project management procedures have continued to be revised to that end. In accordance with the ICRC’s expertise, special attention was paid to National Society operational pro­grammes to assist victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, to restore family links, to promote IHL and the Fundamental Principles, and to deploy mine-action activities. At the end of the year, a guide for National Societies wishing to engage in visits to detained migrants was being finalized by the Central Tracing Agency and Protection and the Cooperation Divisions.

Ongoing consultations and constant coordination with the International Federation and National Societies concentrated on harmonizing Movement approaches to National Society organizational development and capacity building, on development of a Code of Good Partnership, and on issues relating to National Society statutes and integrity.

Support for Movement coordination
The Division worked to help implement the backbone policy documents for Movement coordination: the Seville Agreement and its Supplementary Measures. The ICRC and the International Federation jointly organized nine training sessions on the topic for over 130 management staff. They also began to revise the corresponding training module.

Together with the ICRC Security Cell, the Division finalized inter­nal guidelines on the ICRC’s management of Movement security in countries affected by armed conflict or violence. The key elements of these guidelines were shared with all National Societies.

Intensive support was provided to the field delegations for the preparation, in accordance with the Supplementary Measures to the Seville Agreement, of Movement memoranda of understanding relating to Burundi, Lebanon, Nepal and the Philippines.

In order to ensure effective coordination with the International Federation’s new regional structures, the Division reviewed the ICRC’s overall cooperation set-up in the field in conjunction with its cooperation staff in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Panama City, Panama. In addition, bi-monthly meetings between the senior management of the two organizations were held in Geneva.

Representatives from 40 National Societies working internationally were invited to the annual information meeting organized jointly by the ICRC and the International Federation. The meeting focused on rapid deployment in emergencies and on international migration. Other such events included the second annual meeting for Gulf National Societies, and a partnership meeting on the Movement operation in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the Division prepared for the ICRC’s participation in the 7th Pan African Conference of National Societies in October.

Together with the International Federation, the Division organized a Leadership Development Programme course in Spanish for 16 senior National Society staff members. It also helped develop the new online self-taught course (World of Red Cross/Crescent) and revise the Basic Training Course (in future to be called IMPACT) organized by National Societies for their staff working internationally. It arranged ICRC participation in 26 Basic Training Courses organized by 16 National Societies, and in several training sessions for International Federation staff seconded to emergency operations in the field.

The Joint ICRC/International Federation Commission for National Society Statutes continued to help National Societies adhere at all times to the Fundamental Principles by strengthening their legal base (i.e. their statutes and their country’s national legislation). The Commission met six times in 2008; it provided formal comments and recommendations to 35 National Societies on draft statutes, and assistance and guidance to 12 National Societies regarding the revision of national legislation. It also sent all National Societies two letters (in March and December) reminding them that, in accordance with the Strategy for the Movement, by 2010 all National Society statutes should conform to the Movement’s minimum requirements.

The ICRC continued to attach great importance to helping National Societies protect their integrity in accordance with the Fundamental Principles. The relevant internal database was developed further, and a reference library for integrity and Fundamental Principles was set up and shared with the field in CD-ROM form. The ICRC pursued its coordination with the International Federation on integrity matters at management and governance level. It attended the meeting of the International Federation’s Working Group on Integrity in May and that of the new Compliance and Mediation Committee in August.

In 2008, the Policy Division dealt with some 60 enquiries about the proper use of the red cross, red crescent and red crystal emblems, providing advice and recommendations to ICRC delegations, National Societies, government authorities and private individuals. In particular, using existing material as a basis, it started drafting model internal regulations on the use of the emblems by National Societies, an exercise it will continue in 2009 in consultation with National Societies. Similarly, time was devoted to discussing, with the European Union Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, the issue of several trade­marks registered across the European Union over the past few years. The discussions will continue into 2009 with a view to solving the problem.

In keeping with Resolution 7 of the 2007 Council of Delegates, the ICRC pursued its study of operational and commercial and other non-operational issues involving the use of the emblems, the first version of which had been submitted to the Council in 2007, in accordance with the Strategy for the Movement. In 2008, the study was elaborated further and a new version sent to all States, all National Societies and the International Federation for feedback. Consultations and incorporation of the feedback were set to continue into 2009 with a view to finalizing the study for submission to the 2009 Council of Delegates.

Together with the International Federation, the ICRC remained committed to providing National Societies with guidance on operational interaction with the UN system in order to ensure effective coordination and complementary action while safe­guarding the Movement’s distinct identity. In this regard, work began on revising the format of the agreement used by WFP and its implementing partners to ensure that a new model was adapted to the specific nature of the Movement. The model format for agreements between UNHCR and Movement components, nego­tiated together with the International Federation in 2007, was translated into Arabic, French and Spanish and sent to all National Societies.

The Division supervised and administered various Movement funds, medals and prizes. It examined, jointly with the International Federation, a total of 36 applications from 33 National Societies to the Empress Shôken Fund, and decided to finance 10 projects. It also organized 33 official visits by 218 National Society leaders and representatives to ICRC headquarters.

The English-language version of the new Handbook of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, containing an updated collection of the most important IHL treaties and Movement policy documents, went to press in late 2008 for distribution in 2009.

Preparations got under way for the 2009 Council of Delegates in Nairobi, Kenya. Two joint assessment missions were carried out to Nairobi and the administrative and logistics set-up was agreed with the Kenya Red Cross Society.

The Division provided support for the monitoring of the memo­randum of understanding between the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the Magen David Adom in Israel and participated in three missions to Israel and the occupied and autonomous Palestinian territories, in May, September and November. As per Resolution 2 of the 2007 Council of Delegates and Resolution 5 of the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the independent monitor, Mr Pär Stenbäck, submitted a report on the state of implementation of the memorandum of understanding to the ICRC and the International Federation on 31 May. The ICRC and the International Federation shared the report with all National Societies at the beginning of June, requesting them in turn to share it with their respective national authorities, and asked the monitor to continue his work and pro­vide them with another interim report by 31 January 2009.

Pursuant to Resolution 5 of the 2007 Council of Delegates, the ICRC was invited to contribute to the development of an International Federation policy on international migration. It participated in the meeting of the reference group set up for this purpose and engaged in regular dialogue with the International Federation Special Representative on Migration. It also initiated a process to develop a Movement policy on internal displacement together with National Societies and the International Federation.