International Affairs Structure

In 2011 the CCR revised its structures for addressing international affairs, in order to:

  • Be more effective within our limited resources,
  • Be inclusive of CCR members who want to develop expertise,
  • Engage committed individuals who will provide consistency to our work while striving to build expertise within the broader membership.

The International Affairs Steering Group and the IA Clusters

The structure is made up of a Steering Committee and Clusters:

Steering Group

  • provides support, coordination and oversight to the work of the Clusters
  • is responsive to requests for input from staff
  • liaises with the Working Groups via their WG Steering Committees
  • reports to the Executive

Membership: From each of the Working Group Steering Committees, plus at least one Executive Member. Term of commitment: 2 years minimum, renewable. Steering Group members may also be involved in one or more clusters.

Clusters

  • The active core of the International Affairs work of the CCR
  • Each cluster takes on specific issues or themes such as Children’s Rights, Trafficking, Resettlement, Puebla, UNHCR Executive Committee Affairs, etc.
  • Clusters may also exist for a time with a specific event or theme; e.g. celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Refugee Convention.
  • Reports to Steering Group

Membership: Volunteers from membership. Term of commitment: 2 years minimum, renewable. People who attend a meeting on behalf of the CCR will be expected to stay engaged in the Cluster for at least two years.

Use of website

The dossiers associated with these issues provide a wealth of information and policy background to inform future work and include papers, reports of meetings, correspondence and dialogues. These dossiers can be made available on the CCR website and will be important resources for persons interested in learning more about CCR’s work as well as those preparing to attend international meetings.

Selection of delegates

Recruitment of persons to attend meetings will be transparent and open to those who meet the required criteria. One of those criteria is a commitment to stay engaged in the Cluster for at least two years, to take on responsibilities for follow-up and to assist in briefing the next attendees.

Reporting

The IA Steering Group reports to the Working Groups via the WG Steering Committees as well as directly to the Executive.