Mr. Chrystold Chetty, the Honorary President of the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS), has been appointed as Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The responsibility of the Electoral Committee is to oversee the electoral process of the Standing Commission by ensuring compliance with the electoral rules, and procedures by all candidates and voting members.
´It is always an honor to be of service to the Red Cross Movement and contribute towards the cause for humanity. Having been previously the Vice-Chair of the Standing Commission, I am ready to discharge this function with confidence´ says Mr. Chetty.
Mr. Chetty has played a significant role in the RCSS given that he was among a handful of people who helped establish the RCSS back in August 1989. Thereafter, he held the post as President spanning 14 years and two years after stepping down as president, Mr. Chetty was nominated as Honorary President, an honor he still carries until today. Despite stepping aside as RCSS president, Mr. Chetty continued to be an active member of the National Society, representing it in numerous regional and international forums and taking part in almost all events that the RCSS organized.
In addition to his roles within the RCSS, Mr. Chetty has previously held various positions within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These include being an elected member and vice chair of the Standing Commission from 2015 to 2019, Chairman of the Finance Commission, and Member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of RCRC from 2000 to 2010, a Member of the RCNet for Eastern Africa, and the President of the Association of French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ACROFA).
During the most recent meeting of the Standing Commission held in Geneva in March 2023, a modification was made to the election procedures. It was decided that the Electoral Committee would consist of former members of the Standing Commission, supported by a technical support cell that includes the Standing Commission Secretariat.
With preparations already begun for the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement scheduled to take place from 28 to 31 October 2024 in Geneva, the members of the Standing Commission will be elected through secret ballot. This would be done by members of the components of the Red Cross Movement which includes governments, national societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The election will be held using an electronic voting platform on Wednesday, 30th October, during the final plenary session of the day.
As per the Movement’s Statutes, the primary role of the Standing Commission is to act as the custodian of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which convenes every four years and serves as the highest decision-making body of the Movement. In order to safeguard the interests of all components of the Movement, the Standing Commission provides strategic guidance in the interim periods between Conferences. Furthermore, the Commission is tasked with addressing challenges that impact the Movement as a whole, while always keeping the overarching goals in mind.
In light of the unpredictable nature of global events and the growing humanitarian needs, the Conference also serves as a platform for dialogue between the States parties to the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This dialogue aims to identify additional measures that can be taken to optimize the effectiveness of humanitarian responses in both current and emerging crises.
