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Guatemala

Long Term Planning Framework: Guatemalan Red Cross 2012-2015

Attachments

1 Americas Zone Mission

The mission of the Americas Zone is to support Americas National Societies to increase humanitarian and development standards, helping them to remain relevant within their country and sustainable and accountable for their actions, guided by the implementation of Strategy 2020.

2 National Society Mission

The Guatemalan Red Cross (GRC) has the mission to: “Fulfil our humanitarian mandate as an auxiliary to public authorities for the areas on which the Movement focuses by contributing to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people, mobilizing the power of humanity”. (Guatemalan Red Cross Strategic Plan 2009–2012, p. 9).

3 Introduction Guatemalan Red Cross Framework

The Zone Plan for 2012–2015 establishes the Federation strategy for work in the Americas. This strategy aims to improve National Societies’ leadership and promote the recognition of the Red Cross as a humanitarian organization having an auxiliary role to governments. It also aims to position the Red Cross network and prepare it to respond to: 1) the humanitarian implications that are observable in external trends, progress and challenges; 2) fundamental changes in the nature and structure of the humanitarian community; and 3) internal pressures and challenges. This strategy is created and implemented with a country approach that is reflected in the country support plan. It employs the Zone Plan and the National Society Strategic Plan 2009–2012 as referential frameworks for the central issues for the development of the 2013–2016 plan, which will be aligned with Strategy 2020.

This document is based on the following:

  1. The manner in which the Federation secretariat will support the achievement of the objectives of the National Society Strategic Plan, according to the priorities and needs agreed upon by both institutions.

  2. The manner in which the secretariat, following the orientations in the Zone plan, will contribute at the national level to the implementation of the General Assembly resolutions, the Federation Governing Board decisions, the resolutions, agreements and plans resulting from the Inter-American Conference, and the Secretary General’s objectives.

  3. The manner in which the National Society commits, according to its experience and capacity, to support and contribute to the development of other National Societies in the region and lead specific processes and issues.

The Guatemalan Red Cross is a private non-profit organization that fulfils a humanitarian mission at national and international levels. The GRC has legal status – granted by the Guatemalan State – as an autonomous, independent, volunteer relief institution, with its own patrimony, that is an auxiliary on humanitarian issues to public authorities. According to the National Society database, the GRC has 1,114 volunteers, 129 social members, and 78 paid staff who provide services in the national headquarters and 19 branches in the country’s different departments where the programmes and projects to address the population’s vulnerability are implemented.