International Council of Voluntary Agencies
The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) is a global network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) based in Geneva, Switzerland.
| Abbreviation | ICVA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1962 |
| Legal status | Association |
Key people | Executive Director: Ignacio Packer, Chair of the Board: Anoop Sukumaran (ACT Alliance) |
| Website | www.icvanetwork.org |
The stated mission of ICVA is to make humanitarian action more principled and effective by working collectively and independently to influence policy and practice. ICVA aims at helping NGOs understand, engage in and influence the humanitarian sector and beyond by connecting the voices of its members so that they can share experiences, collaborate on common issues and engage with other actors such as the United Nations, governments and regional organisations.
ICVA has over 100 members operating in 160 countries. 75% of NGOs engaged in ICVA are southern NGOs, national NGOs, medium-sized NGOs and NGO fora.
ICVA's 2019-2021 Strategy sets out four focus areas for the organisation to engage with its members on:
· Coordination
· Financing
· Navigating change: cross-cutting issues (civil society space, localisation, humanitarian-development-peace nexus, safeguarding)
The Secretariat of ICVA is based in Geneva, Switzerland. ICVA also has regional representatives based in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA).
History[edit]
ICVA was established in 1962 by a small coalition of refugee and migration focused non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It was the first mechanism for international NGO collaboration, starting off with 60 constituents all of whom were focused on building cooperation on refugee matters.[1] Since then ICVA has grown into a network of over 100 NGO members operating in 160 countries at global, regional, national and local levels.[2]
In 1963 ICVA was awarded the Nansen Medal with a view to honouring all the agencies and their constituencies, as well as individual voluntary workers who have shared in the common effort of assistance to refugees.[3]
With migration being at the core of how ICVA came to exist, many saw it as a voice or mouthpiece for NGOs and key international actors wanting to collaborate on humanitarian and development issues[4]. Since its founding, ICVA has had a unique relationship with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), being written into the procedures of the UNHCR's Executive Committee.[5]
In the early 90's ICVA became a member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), formed by the UN General Assembly resolution 46/182 which created the primary mechanism for interagency coordination in humanitarian assistance.[6]
Organisational Structure[edit]
ICVA staff is based in Geneva and in regional hubs across the world. ICVA leverages its Geneva-based Secretariat's proximity to key humanitarian organisations and its regional hubs’ proximity to members and stakeholders close to country operations.
Governance[edit]
The ICVA governing body, the Board, is elected by the General Assembly, which meets once every three years. The ICVA Board ensures that the Secretariat aligns its financial and operational capacity and annual work plans with the three-year strategy, including key indicators, targets, routine monitoring and annual reporting, to maintain accountability to members and donors.
ICVA's Board is currently composed of ten elected members, elected by the 17th General Assembly on 21 March 2018.
Members[edit]
ICVA's membership is very diverse in terms of size, level, and region. Represented in ICVA's membership are community-based organisations, local, national, and international NGOs along with NGO consortia.[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ Beigbeder, Y. (1991). The Role and Statuts of International Humanitarian Volunteers and Organizations: The Right and Duty to Humanitarian Assistance (Vol. 12). Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 97-98.
- ↑ International encyclopedia of civil society. Anheier, Helmut K., 1954-, Toepler, Stefan., List, Regina. New York: Springer. 2010. p. 888. ISBN 9780387939964. OCLC 567139622. Search this book on
- ↑ "1963 The International Council of Voluntary Agencies". UNHCR. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ↑ Bratton, M. (1989). "The politics of government-NGO relations in Africa". World Development, 17(4), 569-587.
- ↑ "Executive Committee: Rules of Procedure". UNHCR. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ↑ "About IASC | IASC". interagencystandingcommittee.org. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ↑ "Our Members | International Council of Voluntary Agencies". www.icvanetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
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