Governance

	The Federation's Governing Board members at their first meeting in 2002

The Governing Board, on behalf of the leadership of National Societies, decided at the beginning of 2002 that the Federation should find new and better ways to build its capacity and increase its presence in the international sphere. It also advanced the mechanisms for accountability and ensuring compliance with policies.

Setting directions
The year 2002 marked the start of the Governing Board's first full four-year term of office in its new composition since the Constitution was revised in 1999 to give it the decision-making authority required to govern the Federation between two General Assemblies.

The Board focused its attention on achieving results in the context of Strategy 2010 and the Strategy for the Movement.

It ranked capacity building as the top priority, seeking to carry this out by strengthening the 178 National Societies and by increasing the presence of the Federation in the international sphere. The Board also sought to make the best use of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation between National Societies, including the secretariat's coordination role.

The secretariat responded to the Board's directions by proposing a concrete Strategy for change with measurable targets, adjusting the secretariat's own priorities as well as its structure and, more importantly, the way in which it would continue servicing the member societies.

In June, the Board met with the Federation's disaster preparedness and relief, youth, health and community ser-vices and development commissions. The Board approved the commissions' work plans for their two-year term.

These work plans led to the approval, in November, of a revised HIV/AIDS policy. It is anticipated that the work plans will, in 2003, result in policies concerning the following: capacity building; the link between relief, rehabilitation and development; post-emergency rehabilitation; emergency relief; food and nutrition; tuberculosis, malaria and psychological support; and water and sanitation.

A volunteer catalogues relief supplies at the warehouse in Mudende camp, Rwanda.

A new spirit of cooperation
Since the adoption of the Seville agreement in 1997, relations between National Societies, the ICRC and the Federation have been characterized by greater collaboration, information sharing and openness.

The areas where most significant progress was made in 2002 were logistics; harmonized planning for work with National Societies; and a converging approach to external relations and advocacy.

The Strategy for the Movement adopted in November 2001 sought to accelerate this process.

Examples of the higher level of coordination and cooperation were seen in a series of diverse and complex operations, ranging from the rebuilding of the Angolan National Society following the country's successful peace process to the earthquake in Afghanistan and the food crisis in southern Africa.