Participation to the 2022 Statutory Meetings-internal
Virtual platform for the 2022 Statutory Meetings
for registered participants only
Council of Delegates
Questions and Answers on National Societies participation in the 2022 Statutory Meetings (IFRC General Assembly and Council of Delegates)
The information below summarizes questions already received by the meeting organizers and is intended to provide some guidance on planning. Considering the unpredictability of the current health situation, National Societies are kindly asked to remain flexible and follow the guidelines that will be provided/revised in the lead-up to the meetings.
As meeting organizers and participants, we are expected to adhere to and follow the Swiss Government’s decisions/requirements related to COVID-19 and we shall closely follow the evolution of requirements and threats.
In the meantime, it can be already anticipated that social distancing among the delegates will be required in addition to the necessary hygiene measures. Members of the same delegation will be considered as one bubble, hence the limited number of delegates per delegation.
As meeting organizers and participants, we are expected to adhere to and follow the Swiss Government’s decisions/requirements related to COVID-19 and we shall closely follow the evolution of requirements and threats.
In the meantime, it can be already anticipated that social distancing among the delegates will be required in addition to the necessary hygiene measures. Members of the same delegation will be considered as one bubble, hence the limited number of delegates per delegation.
Frequently asked questions
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Can the two in-person delegation members rotate, or does it have to be the same two people?
The purpose of having a limited number of delegates is to limit the amount of exposure of delegates and support personnel to COVID-19. So yes, the indication is that we will have the same two people in the meeting venue. -
Must it be the same two people all throughout the IFRC General Assembly (GA) + Council of Delegates (CoD)?
The meeting organizers strongly recommend the same two delegates per National Society throughout the Statutory Meetings.
However, should the composition of the National Society delegation change, on the last day of the General Assembly the delegate(s) in question need(s) to return his/her badge to the registration desk. The new National Society delegate will receive a badge and be granted access to the meeting venue.
There will be a maximum of two delegates per National Society present on the venue premises. -
Does the Head of Delegation (HoD) always have to be present in the room?
The voting in the IFRC General Assembly and Council of Delegates is usually done by consensus. In this case the voting is done by clapping of hands and for that the presence of the Head of Delegation is not mandatory. However, if other forms of voting are decided, such as roll-call or electronic voting, in that case, the presence of the Head of Delegation is mandatory.
Please note that in the IFRC General Assembly, there are elections for the IFRC leadership and the Head of Delegation will be the only one allowed to vote. As the voting for elections is done electronically this will probably allow voting from other locations, but please note that the Election Committee will send detailed guidance on the voting process in due course. -
What are the exceptional authorizations where a delegate joining the plenary session online can participate in the plenary? How can they be obtained and under what conditions?
All National Societies that are not able to reach Geneva due to COVID-19 restrictions, and other unforeseeable exceptional circumstances, will have the possibility of participating in the proceedings of the General Assembly and Council of Delegates online, with the same rights and conditions as the other National Societies participating in-person. As in the case of the in-person delegates, only two delegates per National Society will have full participation rights.
A link to connect to the meetings will be sent to the email address indicated in the registration form prior to the meeting.
You will also receive specific instructions issued by the respective Chairs of the General Assembly and the Council of Delegates closer to the meetings, on how they want to conduct the proceedings of each meeting. -
In addition to the two National Society Delegates with speaking and voting rights (whether in-person or online), can other members from National Societies be allowed to follow the meetings online?
The virtual platform of the 2022 Statutory Meetings provides an opportunity for those delegates designated by their respective National Society to follow the plenary proceedings online. These delegates will not have speaking and voting rights and should register in advance through a separate registration link.
Every National Society can designate up to eight delegates. Only registered delegates will receive a special link to view the meeting proceedings.
The attendance of Observers and Guests will be further limited and invitees under these categories will receive special meeting invites. Observers and Guests will also register as outlined in the practical information note.