IFRC General Assembly Concludes in Nairobi

The International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent's seventeenth General Assembly and Council of Delegates has just concluded a weeklong workshop at the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi.

The conference was an opportunity to evaluate the role of these organizations in mitigating humanitarian challenges brought about by climate change, pandemics, internal conflicts, drought and famine.

Our Nairobi correspondent Wei Tong has more details.

Reporter:

Kenya was once again the focus of global attention when leading humanitarian organization the IFRC convened its General Assembly and Committee of Delegates at the UN's regional headquarters in Nairobi in November.

The meeting also saw the election of the new IFRC president and vice president. It was the first time for an IFRC meeting to be held in Africa.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was the chief guest at the official opening of the weeklong conference. He commended the organizations for their exemplary service to the needy and their efforts to mitigate the effects of natural and manmade disasters.

He noted that holding the meeting in Africa was a clear indication that the continent is indeed important to the IFRC.

"The preference for Africa as the venue for this noble event is very laudable. It comes at a time when the continent is grappling with challenges associated with climate change, recurrent diseases such as polio and HIV/AIDS. My government has however, done everything possible to minimize effects of these challenges."

Former IFRC Governor of the Kenya Red Cross Society Paul Birech was elected the new vice president of the federation. Birech's experience has shown him what a notable impact the National Society in Kenya can have for victims of disasters ranging from internal conflict to pandemics of diseases like malaria and polio.

The federation's vice president-elect says the time has come for these agencies to start thinking creatively about how to guarantee sustainable services.

Birech notes that some governments, including Kenya's, have exempted the organization from taxes on equipment and materials in order to facilitate their work.Incoming IFRC President-elect Konoe Tadateru, who served in a senior position in Japan, will now serve a four-year term replacing Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro of Spain's Red Cross.

"We've just adopted the strategy 2020 when they recall and Africa is the main focus of the International Federation and of we very much aware of the importance of Africa and also the serious problems that Africa has been facing. Of course there were different scenarios of how to tackle all these challenges and we are just discussing how to go about these scenarios. So that is one of the major tasks and that my priorities."

He says that very soon, the federation will not only engage governments to assist their organizations, but will also speak to fast-rising economic bodies in Asia and South America like India, China and Brazil.

"We need to involve them more actively, and of course, we are expecting their contributions - financial or otherwise - to the work, and there is a lot of possibilities." With 100 million volunteers, the 186 IFRC national society members have been working together to meet the humanitarian needs in every country across the globe without considering creed, nationality, race or religion. The African continent provides the largest number of volunteers.

Wei Tong, CRI News, Nairobi, Kenya.