Today,
during the 15th General Assembly, the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies re-elected 53-year-old
Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro Rivero to a second four-year
term as President.
With 129 votes out of the 170 votes cast in his favor, Mr. Suárez
del Toro, was elected in the first round by the absolute majority
required. There were two other candidates in the running, Janet
Davidson, member of the Board of Governors and Honorary Vice-President
of the Canadian Red Cross, and Dr. Muctarr Jalloh, President
of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society.
Suárez del Toro thanked the Assembly for the trust and
confidence that they extended to him, not only as president
but also in the ideas that he had put forward in his pre-election
speech when he outlined his vision for a Federation when he
declared that "We need to ensure that we serve humanity,
and that we work to ensure that in the future the world is fairer
and more humane".
In his acceptance speech he expressed his gratitude to those
who had helped him during his first tenure as President. “I
would like to thank all of you who have been working with me
over the past four years and not least the National Societies
and their volunteers, those of you who really do the work of
the Movement. I would like to renew my commitment to keep working
for the Movement and for the people we dedicate our work and
actions to the most vulnerable”.
“Personally, this means a lot to me. More than 30 years
ago I started my adventure in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
That a volunteer can become a president of the International
Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies still
touches me.”
During his term, Suárez del Toro initiated the “Federation
of the Future” process which aims to increase the scale
and scope of the Red Cross Red Crescent actions to address the
world’s most urgent humanitarian issues.
“We have today a Federation which is more participative,
flexible and viable to face our future challenges,” he
said.
In his 30-year career with the Spanish Red Cross, Mr Suárez
del Toro rose through the ranks, from youth volunteer in 1971,
taking part in rescue, social welfare and international cooperation
activities, to Red Cross Youth Director and President of the
Canary Island branch. He has been President of the Spanish Red
Cross since March 1999.
Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro was also a member of the
Federation's Governing Board and Federation vice-president before
becoming President of the International Federation. He was first
elected to the post in November 2001.
His new term will commence as from the end of the current General
Assembly, on 14 November.
|
 |
 |
|
|
During the 15th General Assembly, the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies re-elected 53-year-old
Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro Rivero to a second
four-year term as President.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
With
129 votes out of the 170 votes cast in his favor, Mr.
Suárez del Toro, was elected in the first round
by the absolute majority required.
|
|
News
