Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent


The Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is the permanent statutory body of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the highest deliberative body of the Movement between the meetings of the Council of Delegates and the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. It was originally set up to coordinate cooperation between the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
It consists of two representatives from the ICRC, two from the IFRC, and five individuals who are elected by the International Conference. There is also a permanent administrative Secretariat currently located at the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. There have been 55 previous elected members of the Standing Commission. The Standing Commission is also responsible for giving out the Henry Dunant Medal and the Red Cross Red Crescent Prize for Peace and Humanity.

History

The Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is the permanent statutory body of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the highest deliberative body of the Movement between the meetings of the Council of Delegates and the International Conference, as well as the trustee of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. It was created during the 13th Red Cross Conference in the Hague, the Netherlands in 1928, under Article 18, resolution X. It was set up, in part, to be a connecting force between the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League, as there had been some disputes over how the Movement should be run and what level of autonomy the League should have. After years of disagreement, Colonel Paul Draudt who was Vice-Chairman of the League and Max Huber of the ICRC drafted a plan that formed the basis for the adoption of the “Statutes of the International Red Cross” in 1928. This resulted in the League being recognised as a full component of the Movement and helped build institutional stability and effectiveness. In order to help with this cooperation a new International Council was approved- which was the direct predecessor of the Standing Commission. Since then, the Standing Commission has been making arrangements for the International Conference such as setting the place and date, establishing the programme, preparing the provisional agenda for submission to the Council of Delegates as well as promoting the Conference, encouraging members of the Conference to make pledges and securing optimum attendance. It has also encouraged implementation of resolutions, examined issues of concern for the Movement and worked to promote cooperation and coordination within the different branches of the Movement.

Role and Mandate

The Standing Commission's main role is to act as the trustee of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The International Conference is the highest institutional body of the Movement and every four years members from the ICRC, IFRC, the National Societies as well as states and other relevant international actors meet to discuss humanitarian matters. In between the Conferences, the Standing Commission acts as the supreme body and is mandated to provide strategic guidance to all the components of the Movement, along with supervising the implementation of and compliance with the resolutions made during the International Conference. Its functions and goals are defined in article 18 of the Statutes of the Movement and have been further developed in the Council of Delegates and International Conference resolutions.
In addition to its responsibilities regarding arrangements for International Conferences and meetings of the Council, the Standing Commission is responsible for
Another purpose is to provide strategic guidance in matters which concern the Movement as a whole. It prepares Movement-wide policies such as the Strategy for the Movement, which aims at coordination and cohesion in action. It is the only body in the Movement where all components are represented and which meets regularly on a permanent basis. For the implementation of its decisions, the Commission relies on the ICRC, the International Federation, and the National Societies as components of the Movement. In preparing Councils of Delegates and International Conferences, the Commission focuses on the inclusion of and consultation with National Societies, in order to try to stay in touch with local needs and with external developments. The Standing Commission was also instrumental in bringing the Seville Agreement to the Council of Delegates for adoption to better regulate more cooperation between different components of the Movement. The Standing Commission convenes every six months on average.

Membership

The Standing Commission has nine members, five elected from national societies but serving in a personal capacity; two from the International Committee of the Red Cross ; and two from the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies. There is also a permanent administrative Secretariat located at the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Previous and current elected members of the Standing Commission
NumberNameNational SocietyGenderPeriod
1Pierre NolfBelgian Red CrossMale1930-34
2Prince TokugawaJapanese Red CrossMale1930-38
3Lady NovarBritish Red CrossFemale1930-34
4Torolf PrytzNorwegian Red CrossMale1930-34
5Marquis de HoyosSpanish Red CrossMale1930-34
6General D. Ricardo Burguete y LanaSpanish Red CrossMale1934-38
7Dr Ibrahim Refik Saydam BeyTurkish Red Crescent SocietyMale1934-38
8Alvaro Carlos TourinhoBrazilian Red CrossMale1934-38
9Sir Arthur StanleyBritish Red CrossMale1934-46
10Axel HultkranzSwedish Red CrossMale1938-48
11Dr Chao Phya BijayanatiThai Red CrossMale1938-48
12Dr Pedro VignauArgentinian Red CrossMale1938-48
13Senator Giuseppe de MichelisItalian Red CrossMale1938-48
14Count Folke BernadotteSwedish Red CrossMale1946-48
15André François-PonçetFrench Red CrossMale1948-65
16Tom Willmott SloperBrazilian Red CrossMale1948-65
17Ali Rana TarhanTurkish Red CrescentMale1948-52
18Henrik BeerSwedish Red CrossMale1949-51
19Lord WooltonBritish Red CrossMale1952-57
20Boris PachkovRussian Red CrossMale1952-57
21James Thomas NicholsonAmerican Red CrossMale1951-57
22Rajkumari Amrit KaurIndian Red CrossFemale1952-57
23General Alfred Maximilian GruentherAmerican Red CrossMale1957-65
24Prof Georgy MiterevRussian Red CrossMale1957-73
25Angela Countess of LimerickBritish Red CrossFemale1965-73
26General F. CollinsAmerican Red CrossMale1965-73
27Hans LaudaAustrian Red CrossMale1965-69
28Sir Geoffrey Newman-MorrisAustralian Red CrossMale1965-77
29Dr Ahmed Djebli-ElaydouniMoroccan Red CrescentMale1969-73
30Dr Nadejda TroyanRussian Red CrossFemale1973-77
31George AitkenCanadian Red CrossMale1973-77
32Alexandra Issa-el-KhouryLebanese Red CrossFemale1973-77
33Sir Evelyn ShuckburghBritish Red CrossMale1973-81
34Dr Kai WarrasFinnish Red CrossMale1977-86
35HE Dr Ahmed Abu-GouraJordan National Red CrescentMale1977-81
36OMR Prof Dr Werner LudwigGerman Red CrossMale1977-81
37Rito AlcantaraSenegalese Red CrossMale1977-81
38R. James KaneCanadian Red CrossMale1981-86
39Soehanda IjasIndonesian Red CrossMale1981-95
40Dr Janos HantosHungarian Red CrossMale1981-95
41Hon Byron HoveZimbabwe Red CrossMale1986-99
42Dr Botho Prinz su Sayn Wittgenstein-HohensteinGerman Red CrossMale1986-95
43Mavy HarmonBrazilian Red CrossFemale1986-95
44Véronique AhouanmenouRed Cross of BeninFemale1993-95
45Guillermo Rueda MontañaColombian Red CrossMale1995-99
46Princess Christina MagnusonSwedish Red CrossFemale1995-03
47Princess MargrietNetherlands Red CrossFemale1995-03
48Tadateru KonoeJapanese Red CrossMale1995-03
49General Georges HanoukLebanese Red CrossMale1998-99
50Prof Mamoun Yousif HamidThe Sudanese Red CrescentMale1999-99
51Dr Abdul-Rahman Al-SwailamSaudi Red Crescent AuthorityMale1999-03
52Dr Freddy Karup PedersenDanish Red CrossMale2003-07
53Janet M. DavidsonCanadian Red CrossFemale2003-07
54Philippe CuvillierFrench Red CrossMale2003-07
55Zoy Katevas de SclabosChilean Red CrossFemale2003-07
56Adama DiarraMali Red CrossMale2007-11
57Eamon Harrison CourtenayBelize Red CrossMale2007-11
58Greg VickeryAustralian Red CrossMale2011-
59Steven E. CarrAmerican Red CrossMale2007-2015
60H.E. Dr Mohammed Al-HadidJordan National Red Crescent SocietyMale1999-2015
61Dr Massimo BarraItalian Red CrossMale2007-
62Hon. Pär StenbackFinnish Red CrossMale2011-2015
63Eva von OelreichSwedish Red CrossFemale2015-
64Chrystold ChettyRed Cross Society of Seychelles Male2015-
65George WeberCanadian Red Cross SocietyMale2015-

The Henry Dunant Medal

The Henry Dunant Medal is the highest award of the Red Cross Movement and is presented and awarded by the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The Standing Commission makes up to five awards every two years. The medal is awarded in order to “recognise and reward outstanding services and acts of great devotion, mainly of international significance, to the cause of the Red Cross/Red Crescent by any of its members.” Special weight is put on the international significance of a potential recipient's acts or service. The medal was first given in 1969 and 149 individuals have received the award since then.
Table of previous Henry Dunant medal winners
NumberNameNationalityGenderYear
1Dr Frantisek JanouchCzechoslovakiaMale1969
2Dr Dragan HercogSerbiaMale1969
3Robert CarlsonSwedenMale1969
4Pierre-André TacierSwitzerlandMale1969
5Sachiko HashimotoJapanFemale1971
6André François-PoncetFranceMale1971
7Katalin DurgoHungaryFemale1971
8John McAulayCanadaMale1971
9Dr Pavle GregoricCroatiaMale1971
10Prof Georgy MiterevRussiaMale1975
11Angela Countess of LimerickUnited KingdomFemale1975
12Pierre BoissierSwitzerlandMale1975
13Ferer SeguraMexicoMale1975
14Dr Irena DomanskaPolandFemale1975
15Duke of HernaniSpainMale1977
16Baroness MalletFranceFemale1977
17Corp Saing Aung Hlaing MyintMyanmarMale1977
18Countess Etta WalderseeGermanyFemale1977
19Sir Geoffrey Newman-MorrisAustraliaMale1979
20Alan BièriSwitzerlandMale1979
21André TiècheSwitzerlandMale1979
22Charles ChatoraZimbabweMale1979
23George AitkenCanadaMale1979
24José Dolores Estrada-GranizoNicaraguaMale1979
25Louis GaulisSwitzerlandMale1979
26Marvin Alberto Flores-SalazarNicaraguaMale1979
27Leslie BarryIrelandFemale1979
28Louise Henriette van Overeem-ZiegenhardtNetherlandsFemale1979
29Krista DjordjevicCroatiaFemale1981
30Ismael Reyes IcabalcetaNicaraguaMale1981
31Melchior BorsingerSwitzerlandMale1981
32Alexandra Issa-el-KhouryLebanonFemale1981
33OMR Prof Dr Werner LudwigGermanyMale1983
34Dr Abdul Aziz MudarrisSaudi ArabiaMale1983
35Dr Bagus RudionoIndonesiaMale1983
36Mariano Bahamonde RuizChileMale1983
37Hans Christian BennetzenDenmarkMale1983
38John Henry FelixUnited StatesMale1983
39Walter BargatzkyGermanyMale1983
40Olga MilosevicSerbiaFemale1985
41Tom Willmott SloperBrazilMale1985
42Marie Josée BurnierSwitzerlandFemale1987
43Dr Anton SchlogelGermanyMale1987
44Dr Kai WarrasFinlandMale1987
45HRH Princess Gina of LiechtensteinLiechtensteinFemale1987
46Hon Justice Joseph Adetunyi AdefarasinNigeriaMale1987
47Enrique de la MataSpainMale1987
48Juan José Vega AguiarCubaMale1987
49Onni NishannenEthiopia/SwedenMale1987
50Prof Gejza MencerCzechoslovakiaMale1989
51Dr Ali FouratiTunisiaMale1989
52George ElseyUnited StatesMale1989
53Leon George StubbingsAustraliaMale1989
54Michael EgabuUgandaMale1989
55Prof Dr ML Kashetra SnidvongsThailandMale1989
56Kamar Kazoon ChouraSyriaFemale1991
57Baron KraijenhoffNetherlandsMale1991
58Dr Janos HantosHungaryMale1991
59Alexandre HaySwitzerlandMale1991
60Dr Carlos Alberto Vera MartinezParaguayMale1991
61Faqir YarAfghanistanMale1991
62Graeme WhyteNew ZealandMale1991
63Juanito PatongPhilippinesMale1991
64Peter AltweggSwitzerlandMale1991
65Walter BerwegerSwitzerlandMale1991
66William CassisLebanonMale1991
67Zamany Mohammed OsmanAfghanistanMale1991
68Susanne BuserSwitzerlandFemale1993
69Jock SutherlandNew ZealandMale1993
70Dr Pedro José Manrique LanderVenezuelaMale1993
71HE Dr Ahmed Abu-GhouraJordanMale1993
72Abdul QadarPakistanMale1993
73Arthur Brian HodgsonUnited KingdomMale1993
74Frédéric MauriceSwitzerlandMale1993
75Jon KarlssonIcelandMale1993
76Kurt LustenbergerSwitzerlandMale1993
77Michel KuhnSwitzerlandMale1993
78Mohammed ZaboorAfghanistanMale1993
79Win van BoxelaereBelgiumMale1993
80Maria Luisa Torres de la CruzChileFemale1993
81Sarah Veronica LeomySierra LeoneFemale1993
82Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed Bin Tunku Besar BurhanuddinMalaysiaMale1995
83Dr Botho Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-HohensteinGermanyMale1995
84Dr Esmildo Gutierrez SanchezCubaMale1995
85Dr Hugo Ernesto Merino GrijalvaEcuadorMale1995
86Prof Hans HaugSwitzerlandMale1995
87Jaqueline BriotFranceFemale1995
88Sheryl ThayerNew ZealandFemale1997
89Dr Ahmed AlsherifLibyaMale1997
90Aimé AmuliUgandaMale1997
91Amin Booyi AndanaUgandaMale1997
92Bahozi KabakaDRCMale1997
93Bernard Umba KanongeDRCMale1997
94Cédric MartinSwitzerlandMale1997
95Chin ChunCambodiaMale1997
96Déogratias Kitungao BisahiDRCMale1997
97Dieudonné BudogoDRCMale1997
98Djuma SebasoreDRCMale1997
99Enzo BolettiItalyMale1997
100Hans ElkerbrotNetherlandsMale1997
101Herculano TchipindiAngolaMale1997
102Ilunfa SebastienDRCMale1997
103Juan RuffinoItalyMale1997
104Luiji ApataUgandaMale1997
105Mafuta NzangamyaDRCFemale1997
106Reto NeuenschwanderSwitzerlandMale1997
107Véronique AhouanmenouBeninFemale1997
108Fernanda CaladoSpainFemale1997
109Gunnhild MyklebustNorwayFemale1997
110Ingebjorg FossNorwayFemale1997
111Nancy MalloyCanadaFemale1997
112Ute StuhrwoldtGermanyFemale1999
113Dr Guillermo Rueda MontañaColombiaMale1999
114Hon Dr Byron HoveZimbabweMale1999
115Donald TansleyCanadaMale1999
116Phlech PhirounCambodiaFemale2001
117Roger DurandSwitzerlandMale2001
118Noreen MinogueAustraliaFemale2003
119André DurandSwitzerlandMale2003
120Prof Frits KalshovenNetherlandsMale2003
121Monique BasqueCôte d’IvoireFemale2003
122Princess ChristinaSwedenFemale2005
123Col Dr Mekonnen MulunehEthiopiaMale2005
124Dr Jean Simon PictetSwitzerlandMale2005
125Gen Bjorn EggeNorwayMale2005
126The Volunteers of the Indonesian Red Cross Society, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, the Indian Red Cross Society and the Thai Red Cross Society--2005
127Josiane GabelFranceFemale2007
128Hon James Joseph CarltonAustraliaMale2007
129Alexander Dumba IkaDRCMale2007
130Christoph HenschSwitzerlandMale2007
131Zoy Katevas Lazaratu de SclabosChileFemale2009
132Muctarr Amadu Sheriff JallohSierra LeoneMale2009
133Dr Cornelio SommarugaSwitzerlandMale2009
134Dr Fouad HamzaSyriaMale2009
135Hon Pär StenbackFinlandMale2009
136Datuk Datin Paduka Ruby LeeMalaysiaFemale2009
137Dr Shimelis AdugnaEthiopiaMale2011
138Dr Astrid Nöklebye HeibergNorwayFemale2011
139Dr Bosko JakovljevicSerbiaMale2011
140Barges Hamoud Al-BargesKuwaitMale2013
141Dr Alberto CairoItalyMale2013
142Tom BurukuUgandaMale2013
143Doña Meneca de MencíaHondurasFemale2013
144Manowara SarkarBangladeshFemale2015
145Dr Ahmed Mohamed HassanSomaliaMale2015
146Dr Mamdouh Kamal GabrEgyptMale2015
147Stephen DaveyUnited KingdomMale2015
148Michael BotheGermanyMale2017
149Arthur Agany PooleSouth SudanMale2017

Red Cross Red Crescent Prize for Peace and Humanity

The Standing Commission is also responsible for awarding the Red Cross and Red Crescent Prize for Peace and Humanity. It was created in 1987 and is given either to National Societies or to persons in the Movement “who have actively contributed to a more peaceful world through humanitarian action and the dissemination of the ideals of the Movement”. Only three recipients have received it so far, the Lebanese Red Cross in 1989, the Somali Red Crescent in 1993 and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in a ceremony in Sydney on November 12, 2013.

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