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:
Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Secretary General Markku Niskala began his Red Cross career in 1970 when he joined the Finnish Red Cross. After eight years he entered the international field, working in Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. 1985 -1987 he led the International Federation’s Europe Department in Geneva before returning to Finland as Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross.
He was elected Secretary General of the Federation in 2003. Since then, Niskala has led the organization through challenging times in its effort to respond to large-scale disasters and internal change, with the introduction of a new global operating model that modernizes and strengthens the organization in its mandate to help the most vulnerable.
One of his main concerns is to improve cooperation and coordination between the components of the Movement to carry out its mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering and protecting human dignity. Ensuring that the Movement meets the needs and concerns of vulnerable people is a priority for Mr. Niskala. As Secretary General of the Federation, he wants to ensure that it supports National Societies to implement the commitments made at statutory meetings, and to work towards building a Movement-wide consensus on how to harmonize all aspects of the work of the components of the Movement.
