30th Conference Chair Ms Mandisa Kalako-Williams of the South African Red Cross Society with the newly elected Standing Commission Members. Geneva, 29.12.2007
THE STANDING COMMISSION The 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IC) elected the five (5) National Society Members to the Standing Commission (SC) for the next four (4) years, until the close of the 31st Conference in 2011.
In addition to the elected members, there are four ex officio members – the Presidents of the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Dr Jakob Kellenberger and Mr Tadateru Konoe, the Director of Law and Movement Cooperation of the ICRC, Dr Philip Spoerri and the Secretary General of the International Federation, Dr Bekele Geleta.
• National Society members elected in their personal capacity:
Ex officio member of the Standing Commission and President of the ICRC.
Jakob Kellenberger was born in 1944 and holds a PH.D from the University of Zurich. He entered the Swiss diplomatic service in 1974 and held various posts in the Swiss embassies in Madrid, Brussels (European Communities) and London.
From 1984 to 1992 he headed the Integration Office (in charge of relations with the European Communities and the European Free Trade Association) in Bern, as Minister from 1984 and as Ambassador from 1988.
From 1992 to 1999 he was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Political Director, in which capacity he acted as coordinator and chief negotiator for the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the European Union (1994 to 1998).
He has been president of the ICRC since 2000.
Jakob Kellenberger also holds a doctorate honoris causa from the University of Basel.
