INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS


The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization. Its nature and membership are non-governmental. Its mandate to protect and assist the victims of armed conflicts and internal disturbances has been conferred on it by States through the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977.

THE ICRC'S MISSION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TASKS :

- visits to prisoners of war and civilian detainees;

- search for missing persons;

- transmission of messages between family members separated by conflict;

- reunification of dispersed families;

- provision of food, water and medical assistance to civilians without access to these basic necessities;

- spreading knowledge of international humanitarian law (IHL);

- monitoring compliance with that law;

- drawing attention to violations and contributing to the development of IHL.

The ICRC has delegations in some 80 countries around the world and employs about 1,200 expatriate field staff (of which more than 250 are from National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies) and 10,000 nationals of the countries in which it works. About 800 people provide the essential support and back-up to the field operations from its headquarters in Geneva.

EXPATRIATE FIELD STAFF :

Delegates work directly in the theatre of operations. They negotiate with the authorities and assess the needs of the civilian population in terms of protection, food and medical assistance. They organize the logistics needed for the delivery of relief supplies (food, clothing, blankets, tents, etc.) and implement projects related to public health, medical assistance and economic security. They carry out visits to prisoners of war and security detainees and strive for the reunification of dispersed families. They also organize events to spread knowledge of international humanitarian law and the activities of the ICRC with the national Red Cross, armed forces, the police, government officials, prison staff, etc.

Administrators are based either in the capital of the country of assignment or in a sub-delegation near to the conflict zone. They act as personnel managers for national staff, being responsible for their recruitment and employment, including compliance with local legislation. The administrator is in charge of the delegation's budget, accounts and treasury services, and also manages its premises (offices, warehouses, staff accommodation, leases, maintenance, construction, etc.).

OTHER POSITIONS INCLUDE :

- secretaries providing secretarial support to the various units within a delegation. Responsibilities are varied and include the following: organizing the delegation secretariat, following up specific subjects, writing texts in English and French, processing correspondence,
keeping files and supervising national personnel;

- database administrators manage personal data regarding the victims that the ICRC seeks to help. Their tasks cover the following areas : managing databases in conjunction with the units concerned, managing IT resources, organizing, training and supervising delegation employees. These activities contribute directly to assisting victims of armed conflicts;

- logistics specialists are responsible for procurement, ensuring warehouse maintenance, dealing with customs formalities, monitoring stock levels, drawing up budgets together with the delegation administrator, analysing costs, training and supervising local personnel;

- medical doctors (war surgeons, anaesthetists and specialists in public health or detainee welfare);

- nurses;

- orthotist/prosthetist;

- engineers and technicians (water and habitat, construction, information systems).

- agronomists;

- interpreters (Arabic, Farsi, Nepali, Somali, etc.)

PROFILE OF CANDIDATES FOR JOBS AT THE ICRC:

- 25-35 years of age

- single

- for delegates : university degree or equivalent; professional experience an asset;

- for administrators : commercial diploma (Swiss HWV/ ESCEA) or commercial apprenticeship diploma, plus five years' professional experience;

- excellent English and French;

- other useful languages : Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic;

- well-balanced personality and strong character;

- interest in contacts with other cultures;

- tolerance, team spirit, open-minded attitude;

- ability to cope with difficult situations and to work under pressure;

- readiness to assume responsibility and to exceed expectations;

- valid driving licence (manual);

For specialist staff (medical personnel, engineers, information systems managers, mechanics) sent on occasional assignments, the requirements relating to age, marital status and qualifications are more flexible.