First Plenary Meeting of ICRC Corporate Support Group
On 22 November 2006 the First Plenary Meeting of the ICRC Corporate Support Group was held at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue. The afternoon meeting for Corporate Partner experts was followed by a networking event for ICRC Corporate Partner Board Members, the ICRC Board and the Board of the ICRC Foundation.
In the afternoon session 27 experts from the Corporate Partners shared knowledge based on an ICRC case study entitled "Operating in a Challenging environment". Coached by ICRC executives the experts participated in multidisciplinary workshops. They tackled the scenario of a conflict-related emergency triggered by a massive population displacement considering overall operational management, security, human resources, information and logistics. Swiss Re participants have highly valued this expert meeting to exchange experiences, learn more about specific areas of interest and present solutions.
The evening session has been hosted by Peter Forstmoser, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Swiss Re. Jakob Kellenberger, President ICRC, presented the highlights of the year. He made some acknowledgements and gave a brief status report on ICRC staff training. The information part was followed by a discussion session. Corporate partners have been given the opportunity to pursue ideas developed during the case study exercise and assess their partnership with the ICRC more generally. After the meeting and before dinner Jakob Kellenberger guided through an exhibition specially set up for the plenary meeting. With six different topics the impressive and dramatic development and history of the ICRC have been demonstrated.
Why an ICRC Corporate Support Group?
The ICRC has for a long time merely nurtured close relations with civilian and military authorities, international and non-governmental organiations and academic circles.The accelerating pace of globalisation and the growing importance of private-sector companies in international affairs prompted the ICRC in the late 1990s to begin to strengthen its ties with the corporate world. Companies are part of society and it is important that they play an active role and assume social responsibility. War, violence, environmental disaster, disease, famine to name but a few are global challenges we are facing today. By working in partnership with the ICRC, business can make a tremendous contribution to humanitarian work.
A long-term strategy to build constructive relationships with the business community, diversify funding sources and promote humanitarian principles among business assumed concrete form when the ICRC Corporate Support Group (CSG) was founded in October 2005. Swiss Re is one of a selected group of Swiss based companies. The others being ABB, Roche, Zurich Financial Services, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie, Vontobel Group and Fondation Hans Wilsdorf. The members have been selected according to strict ethical criteria to ensure that the ICRC's work would not be compromised in any way.
It is an honor and privilege for partner companies like Swiss Re to work with the world's oldest internatioanlly active humanitarian organization. Swiss Re has the opportunity to support the ICRC in its aid activities worldwide, by providing financial assistance, for example to train ICRC staff and to benefit through the ongoing mutual exchange of information between the partner companies and the ICRC.
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