To deliver sustained, relevant and principled humanitarian action, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies need a strong statutory or constitutional base fit for the 21st century.
Guidance for National Society Statutes ifrc.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ifrc.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Guide to strengthening the auxiliary role through law and policy
Format
A. Background
In 192 countries around the world there is a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society established on the basis of a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Law (RC/RC Law). Although this Guide uses the term RC/RC Law, a country’s RC/RC Law may not necessarily be called a ‘law’, but instead may be titled a decree, order, regulation, charter or bill. Equally, a country may have a series of RC/RC Laws, with later laws supplementing or replacing earlier ones.
RC/RC Laws are to be distinguished from National Society Statutes, which are an internal legal document developed by a National Society to address matters such as its leadership, membership and organizational structure. In addition to its RC/RC Law and Statutes, a National Society’s legal base may include sectoral laws, meaning laws that relate to a specific sector of activity such as a Public Health Act or Disaster Risk Management Act.